Saving Rachel Amber
by LonesomeBard
Summary: When Max and Chloe discover Rachel Amber's body, Max decides to take a chance and photo hop to a point before Rachel went missing with the intention to save Rachel's life. When Max returns, she finds out that things didn't turn out quite as planned.
1. Prologue: Move The Mountains

**October 10, 2013**

"Look, this is it! This is it!" Max Caulfield heard the blue-haired girl ahead of her shout frantically as she tried to catch up. She saw her kneeling in the middle of the small patch of open ground that was surrounded by derelict cars and piles of broken appliances. As Max made it to her, she had already begun digging the ground furiously with her bare hands.

"Are you going to help me, Max?" Chloe Elizabeth Price asked sternly as she sank her fingers into the ground again and again.

The freckled brunette fell onto her knees and began removing the soil from the same spot one handful after another. She glanced at the beanie wearing bluenette, her childhood friend with whom she had reconnected a few days ago after being separated for five years.

They had not parted on good terms and their reunion had been dramatic to say the least. Max had actually seen Chloe die before her eyes, when all of a sudden she had found herself miraculously taken back in time to a few minutes before the tragic event. Max had been even more amazed when she had realized that she could rewind time at her will and change the course of events to her liking.

With the help of this newfound ability she had been able to save the bluenette, who she had not recognized to be her childhood friend at the time. They'd met again and reconnected. After the death of Chloe's father and Max's departure, Chloe had had a rough life, being expelled from school and being constantly at odds with her mother and her mother's new husband. The only positive thing in her life during these years had been Rachel Amber, her former classmate. They had planned a future together, until Rachel had gone missing last spring. Max and Chloe had begun to investigate what had happened to her and their findings had lead them to this spot at the American Rust, a decommissioned junkyard.

Max's fingernails ached as she dug deeper, fearing what they might find, until suddenly her fingers hit something more solid.

"Chloe, stop! Look!" the brunette exclaimed as she began to carefully wipe the soil away from what appeared to be a piece of clothing.

"Please, no…" Max could hear Chloe pleading desperately, as she revealed more of the clothing, her heart sinking more with every wipe.

"That smell…" Max gasped as the repulsive smell of a decomposing body made her turn away and gag forcefully.

"Rachel…" the bluenette whispered, the tone of her voice begging, trying to desperately cling for a faint hope that the blonde girl might still be alive. "Oh, Rachel, no, no! Please, not her!" Her voice cracked into sobs as that hope withered away.

"Chloe…" The freckled girl stood up and ran to the punk who was on all fours, gagging and sobbing uncontrollably. Max put her arms around her and tried her best to console the crying girl. Tears began flowing down her own cheeks as she realized that their search for Rachel Amber was over. Of course the chances of finding her alive after such a long time had been slim to begin with but still, that faint hope had been the driving force in their quest. Now, what there was left was the fact that Rachel Amber was dead.

"Rachel… why?" Chloe whimpered quietly between sobs. She was completely overwhelmed with grief by her friend's demise.

"I'm sorry, Chloe. I'm so sorry…" Max whispered into Chloe's ear, equally devastated but mustering all her remaining strength to be able to offer support and consolation to her friend, who was muttering to herself with a cracked voice.

"I loved her so much…"

"How can she be dead?"

"What kind of world does this?"

" _Who_ does this?"

Max sat quietly next to the bluenette, holding her tightly in her embrace as Chloe spluttered on incredulously between her sobs. In her mind, the brunette was asking the same questions. _Why did Rachel have to die? Who did this to her?_ She raised her other hand in front of her and scowled at it angrily. _What are these powers good for, if I can't even save my best friend's friend? Or could I...?_

Max thought about the photo hop that she had done yesterday into her and Chloe's childhood. She had jumped into the moment just before Chloe's father, William, had died. Max had been able to save William but as a result, Chloe had ended up in a wheelchair, facing a slow and painful death. Max, on the other hand, had become a person she wasn't sure she liked. In the end, Max had returned into the photo and undone everything.

In that case, the consequences had been catastrophic, but five years was a long time. _Things couldn't possibly change that much in_ _half a year_ _, could they?_ Max thought. _Besides, we wouldn't be just saving Rachel's life. We would also prevent Kate and possibly a few other girls ending up on those binders we found in that dark room._ The plan had its risks but the benefits seemed to outweigh them.

Max turned to look at the crying girl. If she was to go through with this plan, she'd have to come clean with Chloe about her intentions, as she just couldn't do it without her consent. That would mean she'd have to tell her about William.

The punk had finally stopped crying. The sorrow and despair in her eyes began slowly to turn into hatred and fury as she clenched her fists. "That bastard Prickscott's gonna pay for what she did to Rachel," Chloe growled angrily. "Nathan's gonna regret the day he was born after I'm through with him." She brushed the brunette's hand away and stood up.

"Chloe, wait!" Max exclaimed frantically as she straightened herself. "I want to see Nathan face justice for what he's done as much as you do, but what if I told you there is a way to bring Rachel back?"

The bluenette turned to look at the hipster girl with a mixture of disbelief and hope. "Bring Rachel... back?"

"Yes, Chloe, a way to prevent her from dying, or at least try," Max answered, trying to sound more reassuring than she in reality felt.

"But, how?" Chloe asked bemusedly. "I mean, you told me you can't rewind back more than a minute."

"I know," the brunette admitted. "But yesterday, after you had dropped me at Blackwell, something happened." She paused for a moment, as if trying to find the right words to represent her case. "I was in my room, watching an old photo of that William had taken of us on the day... the day..."

"My life went down the drain?" the punk proposed, receiving a nod from the freckled girl. "Go on!"

"I was watching that picture, when all of a sudden, it began pulsating and I began to hear noises from within the picture, Max continued. "I freaked out at first, but then I tried to look at it again and I was sucked in the picture."

"Say what?" Chloe looked at her incredulously. "Have you been trippin' on acid?"

"For cereal, Chloe!" the brunette insisted. "I somehow jumped into that moment and into my younger body. I was there, with you and William!"

"So you got to relive the moment before dad stepped out of the door, into his death," Chloe said with an unimpressed tone. "Hoo-ray!"

"Don't you get it?" Max said, frustrated. "I had lived that moment before, so I knew what was going to happen!" The last remark made the punk's eyes blink open as she realized what the brunette was trying to say.

"You mean...?"

"Yes, I saved William, Chloe," Max stated. "I dropped his car keys into the kitchen sink, so that he had to take the bus."

"You saved dad!" Chloe's expression lit up, before changing to bemused. "But if you saved him, why do I still feel he's dead?"

"Because..." Max hung her head. "...this reality wasn't the one I returned to."

The punk girl didn't say anything. She just stared at Max with a questioning look.

"In that reality, I was a member of the Vortex Club, and apparently I was besties with Victoria Chase. I'm... not sure if I liked that Max."

"What about dad, was he alive?" Chloe asked impatiently.

"Both your parents were alive and well," the brunette answered. "You, on the other hand..."

"What? What happened to me?"

"You..." The words got stuck to Max's throat and her eyes watered. "You had gotten into an accident and you... you had been paralyzed from the neck down."

The punk gasped as the brunette's words sank in. "Paralyzed...?"

"Your parents were in hella debt because of your condition and your respiratory system was slowly failing," Max continued, sobbing between the words. "You were dying, Chloe."

Chloe covered her mouth with her hand to hide her shock. But Max wasn't finished yet.

"You told me that you were facing a slow and painful death," she continued. "You didn't want to be a burden to your parents anymore, so you asked me to end your life. You asked me to give you a morphine overdose..." Her voice cracked into sobbing. "And I did! I killed you!"

"Oh, Max..." Chloe said, wrapping her arms around the crying brunette. "How did you get back?"

"I... I went back into that picture and let... and let... Oh, Chloe, I'm so, so sorry!" Her words faded into sobs. She felt how the bluenette's arms tensed momentarily, before wrapping her in an even tighter embrace.

For a while, they just stood still, the brunette sobbing quietly and the punk holding her tightly. Finally, Chloe loosened her grip and turned to face the smaller girl.

"Max..." Chloe said quietly. "I had no right to ask you to take such a responsibility. I'm sorry."

"I didn't want to do it, but I didn't want you to be in pain either," Max said. "And at that point I had decided to undo everything anyway. I'm so sorry, Chloe. I really wanted to bring your father back."

"S'okay, Maxaroni." The punk finally managed to muster up a smile of sorts. "I appreciate it, really. But are you suggesting that you'd go again into the past again to warn Rachel?"

"Y-yeah…"

"Well, your pitch certainly needs some work," Chloe remarked. "After what you just told me, I'm not at all sure you should do it."

"I know, but hear me out," Max requested. "We know, that Rachel went missing last April, six months ago. I just happen to have a picture taken of me at a hockey game in the beginning of April," she explained. "Seven months is a lot less time than five years."

"Yeah… well, I still don't know," Chloe said doubtfully. "How would you warn Rachel? You've never met her and I doubt she'd take a warning message from an unknown number very seriously."

"What if I sent a message to David?" the brunette suggested. "I mean, he already has a lot of data gathered through his investigation. He would just need the location of the barn and the access code to the dark room. The binders and other stuff in there should be enough to press charges against Nathan, before he does anything to Rachel, or Kate for that matter."

"Well, I think even Sgt. Pepper should be able to put all the pieces together..." the punk pondered. "Theoretically, the only thing that should change is that Nathan is rotting in jail, and Rachel is of course alive and happy with her mystery boyfriend." She couldn't quite hide the bitterness in her voice, when she said the last sentence.

"What have we got to lose?" Max asked. "If things are fucked up, I'll simply go back and undo everything."

"Yeah, I suppose..." Chloe was beginning to relent. "I'm still mad at Rachel for cheating on me with Frank, but she didn't deserve to get killed for it." She cast a gloomy glance at the pit where the remains of her friend and lover lied. "But what about the storm? Do you think it's still gonna hit the town tomorrow?"

"I don't know, but we'll deal with that once we've saved Rachel," the brunette said. "One problem at a time. So, what do you say?" She looked the bluenette straight in the eyes.

"Fuck it! Let's do it!" the punk finally agreed. "Where do you have that picture?"

"It's in my dorm room," Max answered. "But let's cover poor Rachel's grave first."

-ooo-

"So, how does this work?" Chloe asked Max. They were looking at the group of pictures on the brunette's dorm room wall, separate from Max's collage of Polaroid shots. The shot of interest was one of Max standing on the stairs leading to the grandstands, wearing a Seattle Mohawks jersey.

"If I focus on the picture long enough, it... I don't really know how to describe it," Max said as she took the picture in her hands. "It kinda comes alive and I will be sucked into it. I'm able to act within the confines of the picture for a certain period of time, before I return. My rewind powers also seem to work there."

"But what happens here, when you're in the picture?" Chloe asked, concern in her voice.

"I... I don't know," the brunette said hesitantly. "All I know is that if I change something in the picture, the timeline will be rewritten and I'll reclaim my body."

"And I'll end up in a wheelchair..." the punk remarked.

"Look, if you don't want to do it..." Max began but Chloe raised her hand to interrupt her.

"No, I'll take my chances," she said. "Just try not to fuck up the timeline too much. And look me up as soon as possible. I'll probably be somewhere licking my wounds after Rachel." The bluenette smiled and opened her arms for an embrace.

Max stepped forward and wrapped her arms around the taller girl. As she returned the embrace, she thought about the kiss she had given to Chloe when Chloe had double dared her to do it. Chloe didn't know it but Max had rewound a few times to kiss her again. After that, she hadn't been able to shake the silky smooth feeling of those lips out of her mind. How she craved to feel those lips on hers again, that slightly tobacco flavored taste of the bluenette's mouth. As much as she wanted to, Max didn't dare to take the initiative, as she wasn't sure how Chloe felt about her. She had no doubt of her own feelings, though. She was beginning to fall for her partner in crime, slowly but surely.

"I will," she promised, as she withdrew herself from the embrace.

"Ok, do it, before I freak," Chloe said as she stepped into the corner. "Good luck, Max."

"Thanks, Chloe." The brunette took the picture in her hands and sat down on the sofa. _Ok, here goes._

Max stared at the picture intensely. A few seconds later she was rewarded with the loud murmur from the stands of the ice hockey arena. The image began to shift beyond the confinements of the paper it was printed on, and before she knew it, her surroundings faded in brightness.

-ooo-

"There!" Ryan Caulfield said as he lowered his pocket-sized digital camera. "You wanna take a look, Max?"

"What? Huh, yeah," the brunette said bemusedly as she tried to get her bearings and maintain her balance on the steep steps of the stairs.

"Easy there, kiddo!" Ryan reached out to catch his daughter. "You don't wanna end up in a wheelchair, do you?"

"Huh? No, Dad," Max said.

"You okay, kiddo?"

"Uh, yeah," the brunette tried to assure. "Can I see the picture?"

"Oh, sure," Ryan Caulfield said and handed the camera over.

"This is great, Dad! I want to get it printed," she said trying to sound enthusiastic. "Um, I think I need to visit the restroom."

"Now? But the game's about to start," Ryan said.

"I know, but I think my... y'know," the brunette said and cast her glance downwards rapidly.

"Oh..." Ryan's expression went slightly awkward when he realized what his daughter meant. "Go on then, but try to hurry. I'm going to take my seat."

"Sure thing, Dad," Max said, as she began to descend the stairs rapidly. A few steps later she had reached the platform that led to the corridor. A bright haze blocked her entry to the corridor, so she crouched behind the staircase and dug out her phone.

Max cast a quick glance upwards to make sure that her father couldn't see her. _Ok, the coast is clear! I hope I memorized David's number correctly_ _,_ she thought, repeating the number that she had got from Chloe in her mind. She opened a messaging app and began tapping.

 **02/16/2013 6:59 p.m.: You don't know me but I know you're investigating the drug trafficking at Blackwell. There is more to it than just drugs. There's an old barn owned by the Prescott family just outside Arcadia Bay. Under that barn** **,** **there is a hidden bunker. The** **door lock's** **pin code is 542. You'll find all the answers there.**

Max read the message through once more and tapped 'Send'. As soon as she saw that the message was marked delivered, she deleted it from her phone. _Ok, hopefully David will find the necessary evidence so that Nathan will be arrested before he can do anything to Rachel._ She slipped the phone back into her pocket and walked up to the vacant seat next to her father.

"You all good?" Ryan asked

"Yeah, I'm good to flow, thanks," Max answered, grinning, making her father blush slightly. "Everything should be just fine," she added as she took her seat and the bright haze surrounded her.

-ooo-

"...his portraits are distinguished by their minimalist style, where the person is looking squarely at the camera, posed in front of a sheer white background," a voice of a middle aged man said with a slightly monotonous tone.

The first thing Max saw was a large portrait of an elderly man projected on the screen. She immediately recognized the man in the picture as Richard Avedon. But the man lecturing about Richard Avedon wasn't Mark Jefferson, and the classroom wasn't the photography classroom at the Blackwell academy.

 _Where am I?_ the brunette asked herself. The classroom was a lot larger than the one at Blackwell. There was something familiar about it. She looked at the lecturer and then it hit her. _That's Ben Juliett, my old photography teacher! But then..._ Max cast another glance at the front of the classroom and spotted Kristen, her friend from Seattle, sitting at the front row. _Aw fuck! I'm back at my old school, Edmonds-Woodway!_ she thought in astonishment. _I'm back in Seattle!_

 _How did I end up back in Seattle?_ Max thought, staring at her personal items on the desk, as she felt the anxiety beginning to take grip. _Why am I not in Arcadia Bay? Is Chloe all right?_ The thought of the bluenette's well-being crept into her mind.

"Max, are you all right? You look like you've seen a ghost." A young woman's voice next to her snapped the brunette out of her thoughts. Max knew who the speaker was even before she turned to face her.

Victoria Chase was staring at her with a concerned look on her face.

 **To be continued**

* * *

 **A/N: Hey and welcome to 'Saving Rachel Amber'! Y'know, after I finished writing 'Executive Rewind', I was supposed to take a break from writing. Concentrate on drawing and maybe plan the sequel to 'Obscura' and 'Hellaween'. As you can see, that didn't go exactly as planned. XD**

 **I got this idea for a story a couple of weeks ago. I was actually offering it for a collab project and brainstormed about it. I began so invested into this idea that I decided to write it myself. For some weird reason I seem to have developed an affection to photo hopping as my stories seem to revolve around the concept. This story diverts from the game plot at the point where Max and Chloe discover Rachel's body. After consideration, Max decides to photo hop to a point where Rachel was alive and prevent her from getting killed. Of course, things don't go as planned and our freckled time-traveler has to try to set things right again. Lots of plot twists, close calls, romance and drama is to ensue. Hope you enjoy the story.**

 **Huge thanks to StevoCPP for brainstorming this story idea with me and to Crowthorne for ironing out my grammatical quirks!**


	2. We're Not in Arcadia Anymore

**October 10, 2013** **2:47 p.m.**

"W-what are you doing here, Victoria?" Max blurted out in bemusement at the pixie blonde next to her.

"I'm _trying_ to listen to a lecture about Richard Avedon, one of my favorite photographers, Caulfield," Victoria breathed out crossly. The look in her eyes didn't match her tone, though. It was not contemptuous, like the one the brunette had gotten so used to, nor was it slightly intimidated, like the one she remembered from the alternate timeline. Instead, it showed genuine concern for Max's well-being. "Are you feeling all right?"

"I... I..." Max stammered as her brain worked overtime, trying to adjust to the new situation.

"Ms. Caulfield, Ms. Chase, do you find today's lecture uninspiring?" Ben Juliett intervened in the conversation between the two girls.

"Uh, no, Mr. Juliett, sorry," Victoria said apologetically with a pinch of her trademark flirt, followed by a quick frown at the brunette.

 _Now that's more like the Victoria I'm used to,_ Max thought as she turned to look at the teacher. "Sorry, Mr. Juliett," she said sheepishly.

"Very well, then," the man said, still slightly vexed about the interruption. He opened his mouth to continue his lecture when the bell rang. Ben Juliett sighed and his shoulders slumped as he came to realize that their time was up. "Remember to read pages 51 to 62 for the next lesson!" He raised his voice to beat the clamor of students packing their belongings and leaving.

Max quickly packed her stuff into her satchel and stood up, leaving the blonde staring after her bewilderedly. Giving no explanation, the brunette paced out of the classroom. _How it is possible that I am back in Seattle, and what is Victoria doing here? I need to get some answers!_ Max thought as she paced rapidly forward on the hallway. Having studied at the Edmonds-Woodway High School for three years, she knew her way around and in no time she was at the door of the nearest girls' restroom. She stepped inside and made her way to the nearest open stall. She closed and locked the stall door behind her and sat on the toilet seat.

Max opened her satchel and began to search her phone amongst the other items when her fingers touched a plastic circular item. She picked it up for closer inspection. It was a circular car key fob, with a metallic blue edge and the actual key sticking from one side. The word 'MINI' stood in capital letters in the middle, surrounded by a pair of wings. _I have a Mini?_ When Max had gone to Blackwell, her parents had refused to buy her a car. They had reasoned it with the fact that she'd be living right next to the school, and that her scholarship didn't cover the accommodation so the money was needed for the rent. Now she was still in Seattle but she had a car of her own.

But that wasn't important right now. Max shuffled through the items in her satchel and finally found her phone. She opened up the browser and surfed to the Arcadia Bay Beacon's web page. First, she checked the local news from the last few days. There were no reports of freak snowfalls, solar eclipses or beached whales. _Wait a second! If those things didn't happen, does that mean the tornado won't hit Arcadia Bay either? But what about Rachel…?_ Max typed in a search for the news articles, starting from the date of the hockey game. She didn't have to go through the results very much until she found something of significance.

NATHAN PRESCOTT FOUND DEAD!

The Prescott family heir commits suicide!

Suspected of several sexual abuse cases

Max looked at the headline in shock. _Nathan is dead?_ She quickly went through the article and a few related articles. Apparently, David had managed to discover the dark room. All the evidence had seemed to point towards Nathan, so David had contacted the state troopers and presented his case. _No wonder, considering that Sean Prescott practically owned the ABPD._ When the state troopers had entered the dark room, they had found Nathan Prescott's dead body on the sofa, along with a letter where he confessed everything.

According to the evidence found, Nathan had been drugging the girls and taken pictures of them in their incapacitated state. In his letter, he had confessed that his obsession was getting out of hand, and he no longer could live with the guilt and shame that he caused to his family. He had had full-time surveillance on the premises so he had known that they were on to him. The autopsy report had confirmed a lethal drug overdose. Where Nathan had acquired the drugs remained unknown. The investigators had had a few suspects, but not enough evidence to prosecute anyone.

Max set the phone on her lap and stared at the beige stall door, hugging herself as a wave of sorrow and anxiety washed through her body. Nathan had done horrible things but Max couldn't help feeling sad about the young man's death. _Maybe he just couldn't handle the pressure caused by his father,_ the brunette thought. When she had searched Nathan's room, it had been evident that he was battling his own demons. _Maybe if he had had more supportive parents he'd never have become the monster he would be now remembered._

The brunette picked up the phone again and opened the Blackwell Academy web pages. She needed a confirmation that Rachel was alive, and the easiest way to confirm that was to check out the graduation picture from last spring. Blackwell Academy had the all the graduation pictures since its founding in 1910, carefully digitalized and cataloged on their web pages. Max opened the picture of the class of 2013 and zoomed it in. On the second row from the bottom, she saw the hazel-eyed blonde smiling at the camera, wearing the graduation gown and cap. _Thank dog, you're alive!_ Although Max knew she wasn't going to find Chloe, she instinctively tried to spot the bluenette from the picture.

 _Chloe!_ The thought suddenly hit the brunette. _I'd completely forgotten about her!_ Max realized that in this timeline they had still not reconnected. Without hesitation, she opened the contacts, chose Chloe's number and pressed the call button. _Here goes nothing…_ She lifted the phone to her ear, only to hear a recorded message that the number wasn't in use. _What the fuck?_ She dialed the number again but she was still greeted by the same message. _Ok, what about Facebook?_ She opened the social media app and searched for Chloe but none of the resulting profiles belonged to the blue-haired punk.

 _Ok, don't panic, Caulfield. There's probably a logical explanation for all of this,_ Max thought as the anxiety began to hit her again. _What about Rachel?_ She quickly tapped Rachel's name into the search field but that didn't yield the correct result either.

 _Both Chloe and Rachel have gone missing!_ the brunette thought as she stared at her phone screen. _What could have possibly...?_ She gasped as a thought crossed her mind. _California!_ Chloe had talked about her and Rachel's plan to go to California as soon as Rachel graduated. But on the other hand, Max and Chloe had found evidence that Rachel was going to end their relationship. The punk had been very upset when they had found that out.

The questions began to pile up in the freckled girl's mind and it started to look pretty obvious that she couldn't find the answers from the depths of the Internet. _If only I was in Arcadia Bay… Which brings me to the question..._

A quiet rapping against the stall door distracted Max from her thoughts. "What?" she asked bluntly.

"Are you ok, Max?" Victoria's voice asked from the other side of the door.

"What do you care, Victoria?" the brunette retorted. She didn't need to open the door to know how the pixie blonde's expression turned into a bitter scowl.

"I care because I am your friend, Maxine Caulfield, even though you don't always deserve it," was the disgruntled response. "I became worried about you after you suddenly turned white as a ghost and then stormed out of the class, but apparently you're just your passive aggressive self." The sound of steps began to move away from the stall.

 _That was well handled, Caulfield,_ Max thought and raised her hand. To her amazement, nothing happened. _What the fuck?_ She stared at her hand briefly and raised it again, this time concentrating harder. Still, the time ran on at its normal pace. _It's not working! My powers are gone!_ "V-Victoria! Please wait!" Max exclaimed as she stood up hastily, almost dropping her phone, and opened the door. The pixie blonde was standing at the door, arms crossed and a stern look on her face.

"Well...?" Victoria asked in a piqued tone. It didn't take much deduction to figure out what she was expecting to hear.

"S-sorry, Victoria," the brunette said bashfully.

"Well, you should be!" the blonde huffed. "Don't you think I deserve something better than hostility for actually trying to be nice to people." She kept staring at the brunette sternly.

"Yes you do, Victoria," Max said, flabbergasted. "I'm sorry."

"Apology accepted." Having said that, Victoria softened her expression into a concerned smile. "Now would you mind telling me what was that all about, back in class?"

Max looked at the blonde furtively, trying to come up with a plausible explanation for her behavior. Trying to explain that she was actually from another timeline wouldn't fly. It might have if her rewind powers still worked, but since they were gone, she'd have to come up with something else...

"Do you believe in premonitions?" The brunette regretted her excuse the moment it came out of her mouth. _Premonitions?! Great job, brain!_

"Um, no," Victoria answered, looking at the freckled girl like she had a few screws loose. "Go on."

"Well, as incredible as it sounds, I had a premonition of my childhood friend in class," Max explained. "We haven't been in touch for over five years, so when I got this premonition I had to go check up on her."

"Well, is she all right?" the blonde asked nonchalantly.

"I don't know," the brunette answered apprehensively. "Her number is no longer in use and her social media profiles don't exist anymore. I'm starting to freak out a bit."

The incredulous expression on Victoria's face melted away instantly upon hearing the freckled girl's last sentence. She stepped over to Max and took the brunette's hands into her own. "I'm sure there's a perfectly logical explanation to all that and your friend is all right. What is your friend's name, by the way?"

"Chloe Price," Max answered, slightly surprised about the sudden expression of sympathy from the blonde.

"Chloe Price?" Victoria blurted. "You're childhood friends with that misfit dropout?"

"You know her?" Max asked frowning at the blonde's remark.

"Well, she was still at Blackwell in my freshman year but got expelled halfway through the fall semester," Victoria explained. "She used to hang with Rachel Amber, so I ran into her on a few occasions. We didn't exactly hit it off if you catch my drift."

"Why am I not at all surprised?" The brunette rolled her eyes. "But speaking of Blackwell, may I ask why you're no longer there?"

The blonde looked at her with a mixture of bemusement and resentment. "You know perfectly well why I left Blackwell!" she snapped. "It's the same reason why you aren't there!"

"Please, indulge me," Max requested.

"Mark... Mr. Jefferson quit shortly after Nathan... after he..." Victoria's voice began to crack and tears began running down her cheeks.

"I'm so sorry, Victoria," the brunette said, opening her arms into an embrace, which the other girl, to Max's surprise, accepted. "In spite of everything, I know that you and Nathan were close."

While she held the quietly sobbing blonde, Max took a moment to digest what she had heard. _Mr. Jefferson quit?_

"I just couldn't go there anymore, after what happened," Victoria whispered against the smaller girl's shoulder. "Too many bad memories."

"I'm sorry you had to relive that," Max said, as she stroked the blonde's back. "Why'd Mr. Jefferson leave?"

"I think he took Nathan's death heavily," Victoria answered. "He had taken Nathan under his wing even though Nathan wasn't in his class. Not many people knew about it."

"Do you know where Mr. Jefferson is now?"

"No. He stopped updating his Facebook after he left," Victoria said. "At least, he hasn't taken any teaching positions. Trust me, I would know if he had."

 _Therefore here I am, with Victoria,_ the brunette thought. _No point in applying to Blackwell, if my favorite photographer is no longer teaching there._ Things might not have changed as drastically as they had when Max had saved William, but they had still changed more remarkably than she had anticipated. And with her powers now gone, Max could not change things back to the way they were. _I don't even know where the picture from the game is now!_

"Ugh! My makeup's a mess!" Victoria grumbled as she withdrew herself from the embrace and saw her reflection in the mirror. "So what are you going to do about Chloe?" she asked as she walked to the sink.

To Max, the answer was obvious. "I have to find her, and Rachel Amber, who has gone missing too."

"Rachel Amber?" the blonde huffed. "That slut is probably wherever Jefferson is, giving great headshots, among other things!" The jealousy and contempt were evident from her venomous tone. "How do you know about Rachel Amber anyway?"

"I, uh..." the brunette stammered like a child who had been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. "I... remembered having seen her marked as Chloe's friend on her Facebook profile, when I've looked at it before. Rachel's profile has been removed too." _Rewind powers, where are you when I need you the most?_

"Whatever, I couldn't care less what has happened to that conniving little bitch," Victoria retorted before she let her expression soften. "I'm sorry. My opinion on Rachel Amber is probably not what you want to hear right now."

"It's all right, Victoria," Max said and sighed. "But right now I need some answers and I'm not gonna find them in Seattle."

"What do you have in mind?" the blonde asked tentatively.

"I'm going to Arcadia Bay," the brunette stated curtly. "Care to join me for a weekend trip?"

"To Arcadia Bay?" Victoria asked incredulously. "That's like a five-hour drive! Can't you simply call Chloe's mother or something?"

"No, I need to go there," Max said, determination in her voice.

"Well, I wish you a safe journey," the other girl said mockingly. "I can think of a million better ways to spend a weekend than to spend it in Hooville, Oregon."

"Whatever," the brunette said nonchalantly. She was already making plans for tomorrow in her mind. She would skip the afternoon classes tomorrow and start at noon. That way she would be in Arcadia Bay before dark. She would just need to overcome one obstacle, her parents.

-ooo-

"Absolutely not!" Vanessa Caulfield said with a strict voice.

"Daad…" Max pleaded with her father for support. When she had got back home, she had waited until after dinner to present her case. Unfortunately, the meal had not made her parents more amenable to the unexpected road trip.

"Sorry, kiddo, but I'm with your mother on this one," Ryan Caulfield said apologetically. "Driving all the way to Arcadia Bay all by yourself is out of the question."

"But I'm an adult," the brunette tried. "Technically you can't stop me from leaving." She could see straight away from the look on her mother's face that it was the wrong card to play.

"Maxine Siobhán Caulfield," her mother said sternly. "As long as you live under this roof, you will abide by our rules. If you set out without our consent, I will personally call the police and report your Mini stolen."

"But Mom, I haven't seen Chloe for five years!" Max said, almost in desperation. "I thought I would see her when I went to Blackwell, but that didn't happen."

"Well, you can blame only yourself for that," Vanessa said. "You were standing at almost that exact spot, ripping the application form to shreds, when you found out your favorite photographer was no longer teaching at Blackwell."

Max didn't say anything. She just stood at the end of the kitchen counter, pouting at her mother with her arms crossed.

"Look, Max," her father tried to reason. "We just don't feel comfortable about you driving such a long distance alone. If you could get someone to accompany you, we might consider it, but otherwise, our decision is final."

Max could see from her mother's expression that she wasn't happy about the compromise, even though it was only nominal since her chances of getting someone to tag along for the ride were next to none.

"Maybe you could take a bus on Thanksgiving holiday," Ryan suggested. "You could contact Chloe and plan ahead."

"This can't wait until Thanksgiving, Dad," Max huffed. She had contemplated coming clean about Chloe's situation to her parents but had decided against it. If she had told them that Chloe and her friend had possibly gone missing, the trip would've been completely out of the question.

"I think this conversation is over then," Vanessa stated.

"I'm going to my room," the brunette said and stepped out of the kitchen. As she climbed the stairs, she could hear her parents starting an argument over Ryan's compromise. Max's father had the tendency to end up as the mediator between Max and her mother in the family negotiations. He tried his best to come up with compromises that both Max and Vanessa could agree upon. Sometimes, like in this case, the compromise left both parties unhappy. Max did appreciate the effort, though.

The brunette sat down on her bed and took a photo that was on the pillow. It was the photo from the ice hockey game. She had dug it out first thing when she had come home. For the umpteenth time, she set it before her eyes and tried to focus on it, to no avail. _Damn, my powers are really gone! I'm stuck in this timeline for good!_ She tossed the photo away in frustration.

Max picked another picture. It was the one where she and Chloe were dressed up as pirates. _Oh, Chloe! I've been here a few hours and I'm already missing you! I just hope you and Rachel are all right, wherever you are._ She couldn't help feeling a wave of jealousy washing through her body when she thought of Chloe and Rachel together.

 _I wonder how Chloe will react when I find her?_ the brunette thought as she gazed at the picture. In her own timeline, their reunion had been dramatic, to say the least: Chloe had arrived just in time to save Max from Nathan. They'd had a bit of a rough start, but during the few days they had been together, they had rekindled their friendship. _Friendship… or maybe something more?_ Max instinctively touched her lips with the tips of her fingers as she thought of the kiss that had resulted from the double dare the bluenette had cast. _Face it, Caulfield, you're hella gay for Chloe Price!_ A smile rose on her face at the thought. _I wonder if Chloe saw me as anything more than a friend?_ Max would never get to know the answer, as all that was now erased from existence.

Max had no doubt that if and when she found Chloe, the reunion wouldn't be any less dramatic than it had been for the first time. _And this time there would be no Nathan Prescott to break the ice._

But to get to see Chloe, Max would have to get to Arcadia Bay. If the car was out of the question, she'd have to use some other means of transportation. The bus that her father had suggested wasn't such a bad idea. Max wouldn't wait until Thanksgiving, though. She picked up her laptop and opened the Greyhound web pages. If she would take one of the morning buses, she should be in Arcadia Bay before her parents would start to miss her.

The buzzing of her phone shook the brunette out of her thoughts. She reached for the phone and unlocked it. There was a message.

 **Vic 10/10/2013 8:43 p.m.: I must be out of my mind but I'll come with you to Arcadia Bay for the weekend.**

 **Max 10/10/2013 8:44 p.m.: Awesome sauce! What changed your mind?**

 **Vic 10/10/2013 8:44 p.m.: Thought I'd do you a favor and help you to stay on good terms with Vanessa and Ryan. Something tells me they're not going to let you go just by yourself, and I figured you're gonna do it anyway. Besides, it gives me a chance to catch up with Taylor and Courtney.**

 **Max 10/10/2013 8:46 p.m.: Great! I'll let my parents know. Is it ok if we skip the afternoon classes tomorrow and start at noon?**

 **Vic 10/10/2013 8:48 p.m.: Gymnastics and Health Education? Would've skipped them anyway!**

 **Max 10/10/2013 8:49 p.m.: K, c u tomorrow, then.**

 **To be continued...**

* * *

 **A/N: Welcome back to Saving Rachel Amber! The consecuences of Max's actions are beginning to unravel, and without her powers, she's unable to undo them.  
**

 **About 'Siobhán'. Canonically, Max doesn't have a middle name, but I've adopted 'Siobhán' as her middle name to reminisce Max of her Irish roots in my stories.**

 **Thank you for all the reviews! Please do keep them coming! Reviews are my creative fuel! Special thanks to StevoCPP for bouncing ideas and advice and to Crowthorne that gives that final touch to my grammar!**

 **From the next chapter on, I'll be slowly adding other POVs, beside Max's. In the next chapter, Victoria will get the stage.**

 **Have a great weekend!**


	3. Unlikely Allies

**October 11, 2013** **2:13 p.m.**

"I still don't get why you couldn't just call Chloe's mother and ask her about Chloe's whereabouts," Victoria complained to the brunette who was sitting behind the wheel of a metallic blue Mini Cooper.

Max sat quietly for a moment before she answered. "Look, it's just something I need to do face-to-face."

They were driving southbound on the I5 towards Kelso. From there, they would take the state highway 30 west to Astoria, and then the 101 along the coast down to Arcadia Bay. They had set out just after noon and hoped to make it to Arcadia Bay for dinner.

"We could've at least taken my Bimmer," the pixie blonde remarked, looking around the cabin of the Mini judgmentally.

"What's wrong with my car?" the hipster asked, feigning offense.

"Well, it's a nimble little car, and probably fine in the city, but for a road trip like this, something bigger might've been more comfortable and safer," the other girl answered.

"Oh, I couldn't possibly have asked that of you, Victoria," Max answered with an impish grin.

"What's with the 'Victoria' all of a sudden, _Maxine_?" Victoria asked curiously. "Have I been too bitchy to you lately or why aren't you calling me 'Vic' anymore?" The blonde looked at her friend with concern. Since Max's 'episode' yesterday, the brunette had acted more reservedly towards Victoria. It reminded her of when they had first met, last spring, after everything that happened at Blackwell.

After Nathan committed suicide and Mark quit, Victoria had had little reason to stay in Blackwell, or Arcadia Bay for that matter. Nathan had been the closest thing Victoria had to a friend there, and she had taken his death quite hard. She had tried to concentrate on her studies, but when Mark had announced his sudden resignation, her motivation had plummeted. Victoria had dropped out of Blackwell a week after Mark Jefferson's last lecture.

Courtney and Taylor had been shocked by her departure. At the time, Victoria had felt no grief over leaving her minions behind; she had figured that she would simply recruit new ones at her new school. Back then, she hadn't realized how wrong she would be proven.

Victoria had applied to Edmonds-Woodway High School in Seattle. Even though it was a public school, it was regarded as one of the top tier high schools in the Seattle area. Its photography program, while not quite as recognized as the one at Blackwell, was of a very high-level. It owed its reputation solely to its professor, Ben Juliett, whose work among the contemporary photographers in the Northwest Pacific area was second only to the work of Mark Jefferson.

At Blackwell, Victoria had quickly risen through the ranks of the student hierarchy to be the Queen Bee. She had enjoyed the reputation of being the bitchiest girl on campus, and carried it with pride. In reality, the bitchy attitude had been a carefully built front, hiding an insecure young girl that lacked confidence in her own talent. The tough competition in the photography circles and the pressure from her parents had caused that Victoria had compensated her own insecurities by belittling the work of her fellow classmates.

When Victoria had arrived at Edmonds-Woodway, she had had two objectives: get the attention of Ben Juliett, and establish herself in the circles of her new school. The first one she had achieved quite easily, as Mr. Juliett had been impressed with her portfolio. It had not been an absolute success, though, as she had to share the teacher's attention with a mousy looking, chestnut-haired girl, sitting in the back of the class. The girl had kept mostly to herself, observing the world around her. She had an ancient Polaroid instant camera which she used mostly for taking selfies. Victoria had not known what Mr. Juliett saw in the girl, but she had considered the girl not an imminent threat and therefore not worthy of her attention.

The blonde's second objective had failed in the worst kind of way, though. The in-crowd of Edmonds-Woodway consisted of about a dozen students, all from privileged and wealthy families. The local Queen Bee was one Portia van Breen, the youngest daughter of a venture capitalist, who was well aware of her status.

When Victoria had initially introduced herself, Portia and her crew had made her feel welcome. The blonde had hung out with them on lunch breaks and between classes. While they had spent time together, Victoria had silently tried to gather information about Portia to see how their views on things matched and whether Portia could be manipulated. Victoria had also paid attention to the group hierarchy and dynamics for an opportunity to form alliances against Portia, if she needed to. In her self-confidence, Victoria had underestimated the reigning Queen Bee and failed to notice that at the same time, Portia had been assessing the newcomer to see if she posed a threat. Having seen that Victoria was after her position, Portia had decided to give the newcomer a welcome she would never forget.

Victoria had openly told Portia about her aspirations to be a photographer and how she admired Ben Juliett's work. That had given the Queen Bee the opportunity to show the newcomer her place. A few days later, Victoria had received a message from Ben Juliett to come to the photography class to talk about her portfolio and to help him with a photoshoot. The email, of course had been a spoof that Portia had paid one of the school nerds to fabricate, but Victoria's vanity had suppressed any suspicions she might have had, and so the blonde had arrived at the classroom at the agreed time.

The classroom door had been slightly open, but Victoria had not paid any attention to it as she had pushed the door open to step in. The very instant, a bucket full of white paint had fallen all over her. The next moment the storage room door had opened and the soaked girl had been surrounded by people who had laughed at her mockingly and taken pictures of her. However, when Victoria had seen that she was being filmed with a camcorder and that Portia was smirking triumphantly at her, she had realized that she had been set up.

Portia and her minions had been filming the whole ordeal, and it was clear that the video would go viral in the social media any time soon. Before leaving, Portia had told the devastated blonde that this would put her in her place. Victoria had remained silent but scowled at the other girl with her eyes flaming. When the door had closed behind the group, the blonde had taken a look at her cashmere jacket that was now soaked in white paint. With a deep sigh she had let go of the carefully constructed image that she carried in public and began sobbing.

While Victoria was sobbing on the floor, she had not noticed that the classroom door had opened again and someone had walked into the room. Only when the comer had stepped into her line of sight, she had realized that someone had caught her in her vulnerable state. It was the shy brunette from the photography class. Between sobs, the pixie blonde had asked rudely, if the girl had come to mock her too. Without a word, the girl had walked to the sink and taken a handful of paper towels from the rack.

The freckled girl had expressed her condolences over the ruined jacket while she did her best to wipe the excess paint off. Victoria had laconically remarked that there would be another. The other girl had told Victoria that she liked her work and thought it was very Richard Avedonesque. The blonde had been surprised both by the compliment and that the brunette could see how one of the photographers Victoria considered as her heroes had influenced her work. Formal introductions had been exchanged. Of course they had known each other's names already, since they had shared classes, but they hadn't really talked before.

As they worked to make Victoria at least somewhat presentable, she had taken the time to observe the brunette more closely. At a glance, Max Caulfield looked like a hipster with no style. Her shoulder-length bob was disheveled. Her ever-observing eyes had a minimal amount of make-up and she didn't bother to cover the freckles that adorned her cheeks. Still, the mousy girl had a natural beauty to her. With a little bit of effort, she'd have the boys drool after her, and the girls for that matter. Victoria had recoiled at the last thought, wondering where it had come from, and had quickly brushed it away. Anyway, she didn't want to get too familiar with the hipster girl. Max was a rival photographer fighting for Ben Juliett's attention, and she had gotten a glimpse of the blonde's vulnerable side.

As soon as they had finished cleaning her up, Victoria had assumed her usual curt demeanor. She had thanked the brunette tersely for help and left her in the classroom. She had made her way to her car and drove home to lick her wounds.

Victoria had spent the next day in her room wallowing in self-pity. The former Queen Bee of Blackwell had been beaten at her own game and humiliated in the worst possible way. She would be the laughing stock of the whole school. How could she possibly show her face there again? She had been dragged out of her thoughts by the ringing of the doorbell. Victoria had not been in a mood for visitors, so she had tried to ignore the bell. The ringer had been persistent, so the blonde had dragged herself to the door with the intention to tell the visitor off. She had not been able to hide her surprise, however, when she had seen Max standing at the door.

Victoria had asked what the brunette wanted. Max had said she had the notes from the day's lecture, and something Victoria could use to make Portia to take the video off. That had caught the blonde's attention. She had asked the hipster in and fixed them a couple of lattes. Max had told that she had been trying out the School's new DSLR camera with a telephoto lens. She had been looking through the viewfinder, hoping to find something worth photographing. By chance, she had caught Portia in one of the back corners of the school yard. Max had zoomed in and she had seen the girl handing money to a young man who was a known drug dealer in the area, and taking a small ziplock bag containing white pills. Without any further thought, she had taken a series of shots of the transaction, and until then, she had been sitting on the photos, wondering what to do with them.

Now the brunette was offering the photos to her. Victoria had known that they would at least get Portia suspended, possibly expelled. The van Breen family was influential but even they couldn't simply sweep this under the rug. At the very least the photos would knock Portia off her pedestal. At that point, Max had said that Victoria could have them on one condition: she could only use them to make Portia take the video down and leave her alone. When Victoria had asked why she should just settle for that, Max had asked what it was that Victoria wanted: revenge, or resolution?

Victoria had grudgingly agreed to the hipster's condition. Max had given a copy of one of the pictures to Victoria, who had then set up a meeting with Portia. Having seen the picture, Portia had quite promptly agreed that the video, which had not yet been uploaded, would be deleted. Portia and her crew would also leave Victoria alone, but the blonde would never be welcome in their midst.

After the dust had settled, Victoria had found out that she and Max had more in common than she cared to admit. They had a shared passion for photography. Victoria admired the brunette's attitude of not giving a shit about what others thought of her. Max also seemed to have an ability to see through Victoria's act and read what was really going on in the blonde's mind. After a while, Victoria had felt comfortable enough to let down her guard in the hipster's presence.

The more Victoria and Max had got to know each other, the more time they started to spend together, and by the end of the semester they had been almost inseparable. They had also managed to leave their mark on each other. Max's style was now more groomed, although still recognizably hipster, and Victoria made an effort to treat people with respect.

Victoria and Max had spent the whole summer break together, going to exhibitions and museums, eating out, going on road trips and just hanging out. By the time they had started their senior year, Victoria had begun to have feelings for the hipster girl that went beyond friendship. At first, she had tried to push these feelings away, but as time had passed, she'd realized it was inevitable: she was falling for the freckled hipster. After coming to terms with the fact that she might actually be into girls, Victoria had begun to wonder how Max felt about her. The hipster girl had not given any indication either way, and the blonde had not yet found the courage to express her feelings towards the other girl.

These feelings were the real reason why Victoria was now sitting on the passenger seat of the Mini on the road to Arcadia Bay. When she had told the other girl how absurd the idea of driving to Arcadia Bay would be, she had been already thinking how she would present the idea of the road trip to her parents.

Victoria turned to look at the freckled girl who was staring intensely at the road ahead. "Max...?"

"Yes... Vic?" the brunette asked, using the pet name after a little hesitation.

"Thank you."

"For what?" Max cast a curious glance at the pixie-cut girl.

 _For everything! For being such an awesome friend, for accepting me as who I am, for making me want to be a better person, for helping me to believe in my own talent and potential, for being you!_ The reasons swarmed through Victoria's mind, but she simply said: "For asking me to come along."

"So spending the weekend in Hooville, Oregon isn't a stupid idea after all?" Max asked with a smirk.

"Well, someone has to keep you out of trouble," the blonde shot back.

-ooo-

Max pulled over to a relatively large service station just outside of Kelso. They were roughly halfway to Arcadia Bay. A short coffee break was more than welcome after a few hours' drive. They walked inside the building which was roughly occupied by a small diner and a 7-Eleven. The diner was relatively tidy. There was a stretch of windowed wall opposite the counter with half a dozen booths against it. The worn red vinyl of the benches reminded Max of the ones at the Two Whales. There was relatively little business at this hour, so most of the booths were vacant. Almost instinctively, Max picked up the second to last.

The diner was no Starbucks, so the selection of coffees consisted of decaf and regular. Both girls decided to go with the latter option. They'd had lunch before they left Seattle so they only bought drinks. As Max gently blew on the steaming beverage to cool it, she cast a furtive glance at the pixie-cut girl, who was concentrating on her phone. She was still amazed that she and Victoria had become friends. The hipster had spent a good part of the last night going through her diary, her social media profiles and her photos to catch up on what had happened to her in this timeline since the hockey game.

According to her diary, Max had indeed ripped up her application to Blackwell Academy upon learning that Mark Jefferson had quit. She had continued going to Edmonds-Woodway, disappointed that she wouldn't get new perspectives on photography. Victoria had arrived soon after that, and the brunette's initial impression of the blonde had been pretty similar to what it had been when Max had arrived Blackwell in her own timeline. Victoria had left her alone, though, as she had been too busy with trying to get into Edmonds-Woodway's in-crowd.

The paint bucket set-up, however had changed all that. A slight twinge of guilt went through Max's body when she remembered how she had had to resort to the same trick to get past Victoria, Courtney and Taylor to the dorms.

In her own timeline, Max had caught glimpses of a nicer Victoria, but her diary had revealed a completely different Victoria from the one she had become accustomed to. The blonde sitting opposite the brunette was a loyal and caring person who would do anything for her friends. It had not happened overnight, though, and Victoria had not lost her sharpness of tongue. Nonetheless, based on her diary, photos and social media entries, Victoria was her friend, her best friend. In the timeline where Chloe had been paralyzed, Max and Victoria had been friends too, but that had not been an equal friendship. In this timeline they had a mutual respect for one another and they treated each other as equals.

Another twinge of guilt flashed through the hipster's body at the thought. Partly because she felt she was betraying Chloe, partly because she came to realize that she had replaced this timeline's Max, wiping her out of existence. While they were not that different, the Max of this timeline had already made different choices in her life and established new friendships, unaware that she was just a placeholder for another version of her who would simply take over, completely oblivious of what the other one had achieved in the meantime.

Max also realized that the same thing had occurred in the timeline where Chloe had been paralyzed. The Max of that timeline had been more outgoing and rebellious, obviously influenced by the Vortex Club members. The brunette wasn't sure if she liked that version of herself very much. Still, it was the life which the Max in that timeline had made for herself. What right did Max have to take her place? And what had happened when she photo-hopped back to her childhood to let William die again? Did that timeline cease to exist? Or was it still there, with the Max of that timeline facing charges for killing her childhood friend with a morphine overdose? _Death and broken lives! That's all these powers are good for!_ the hipster thought, frustrated. _I'm glad I don't have them anymore!_

"Something wrong, Max?" Victoria asked with a worried expression. "I'm used to you spacing out all the time but you usually don't frown so much."

"Huh?" Max snapped out of her thoughts and found herself blushing from the remark. "Uh, sorry, Vic," she said, embarrassed. "Just thinking about karma."

"Well, it's bad karma if the look on your face is anything to go by," the blonde noted, taking another sip from her coffee.

"Let me ask you," the brunette said, pausing to take a sip herself. "If you were given a chance to save someone's life. Let's say Nathan's. But to do it, you have to travel back in time and make a change that could drastically affect the future of you and the people close to you. Would you do it?"

"Would I be willing to risk my and other people's futures to save Nathan…?" Victoria stared into her coffee mug thoughtfully. "I… don't know," she finally said hesitantly. "The thing is, you can't really know what kind of effect even the tiniest of changes can have on how things will turn out. The butterfly effect, you know."

"So you wouldn't do it?"

"All things considered, probably not," the pixie-cut girl confirmed, finishing up her coffee. "Where'd you come up with that idea?"

"Well, take us for example," Max answered. "If Nathan hadn't died and Jefferson hadn't left, you'd have probably stayed at Blackwell, right?"

"Yes, I suppose I would have."

"Now, assuming I'd gotten into Blackwell, could _you_ see usbecoming friends there?" the hipster asked.

"Well, I'd say the odds aren't good," the blonde smiled shortly. "But you never know…"

Max returned to her thoughts. Was this the extent of the consequences of her brash decision, or did fate have something more in store for her? If there was a bright side to her current predicament, it was that there no longer seemed to be a massive tornado threatening Arcadia Bay. The weather in the small coastal town was clear and calm, according to the weather app, and the forecasts promised it to stay that way for the rest of the weekend.

 _Well, one less thing to worry about,_ the brunette thought as she emptied her coffee mug.

"Are you done?" Victoria asked.

"I think so," Max answered. "I just need to visit the little girls' room."

"I'm gonna catch some fresh air in the meantime," the pixie-cut blonde said, digging a pack of cigarettes and a lighter out of her bag.

"Y'know, those things'll kill you," the other girl remarked, softening her tone of feigned disapproval with a smile as she stood up.

"And here I was thinking that I would get away from all the bitching I get at home when I decided to join you on this trip," Victoria snorted, rolling her eyes.

-ooo-

As the familiar silhouette of the lighthouse tower appeared between the trees, bathing in the golden hue of the setting sun, the last fears of a tornado hitting Arcadia Bay today vanished from Max's mind. She remembered the late Monday afternoon she had spent with Chloe after the incident with David in her own timeline. The bluenette had been more than skeptical, when Max had told her about her powers. _I wonder if I will ever be able to share that with Chloe, or anyone else for that matter._

"We timed our arrival well," Victoria said from the passenger seat. "This is the perfect golden hour."

"It is," the brunette admitted, letting her eyes rest on the gold-tinted spruce branches. "I wish we had time to climb to the lighthouse to take some pictures."

"Maybe we'll get a chance to do that tomorrow," Victoria said.

"I don't know," Max contemplated. "A photographer once told me: 'Always take the shot.' And: 'Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans.'"

"That sounds insightful," the blonde agreed. "Which photographer was that?"

"Oh, no-one special," the hipster lied. "Besides, the second one was a quote from John Lennon."

The overgrown forests on both sides of the road gradually gave way to yards and buildings, and a slightly worn plaque welcomed them to Arcadia Bay as they crossed the town limits.

"How does it feel to be back in your old hometown?" Victoria asked as they drove slowly along the main street.

"It feels like I was here yesterday. The town hasn't changed one bit," Max answered, looking around. She couldn't help smiling at how true the answer actually was.

"Well, I can tell you haven't missed out on much," the blonde said. "Besides the Vortex Club parties, this hickhole has absolutely nothing in the form of entertainment."

"Hey, that's my hometown you're talking about!" the brunette retorted playfully. "Besides you haven't had the right person to show you all the places to go."

"Somehow, I doubt that would've made any difference," Victoria said skeptically.

"Candy-ass!" Max said, without even thinking about it.

"Hippie!" Victoria answered instantaneously, accompanied with a grin.

Max grinned back, trying to hide her bemusement. The nickname had come out so spontaneously, like she used it all the time. Except… she didn't. It must had been the nickname the Max from this timeline had given to Victoria. But how did it come to her mind all of a sudden? In the previous photo jump she'd had none of the memories or mannerisms of Maxine, when she had entered her timeline. Was it because Max had spent most of the time with Chloe and not the people who had influenced her alternate self? Would she gradually have slipped into Maxine's ways if she had spent more time with the Vortex Club members? Was she going to lose herself to the Max of this timeline? A shiver ran down her spine at the thought.

 _Focus, Caulfield!_ She shook the thought off her mind. _Find Chloe and Rachel first, have existential crisis later!_

"So where to first?" Victoria asked.

"I figured we'd go see Joyce - Chloe's mother," Max answered. "She's probably at work right now." As if it was summoned, she saw the distinctive sign of the Two Whales diner just ahead of her. Max signaled left and turned onto the parking lot.

"Err, does Chloe's mother happen to work at the Two Whales by any chance?" Victoria asked nervously.

"Yes, she waits tables there," the hipster answered and turned to look at the blonde who was now shifting uncomfortably in her seat. "Why?"

"I've… sort of been banned from Two Whales," Victoria answered with embarrassment.

"Banned?" Max watched the pixie-cut girl curiously. "What could you possibly have done to get yourself banned from the Two Whales?"

"I… may have made a few harsh comments about the premises, and the food…" the blonde's voice faded away.

"The food? But the grub here is awesome," the brunette said in amazement. "I mean, the last time I had a decent Belgian waffle, it was here."

"Look, I was having a bad day," Victoria explained. "I got a B on an assignment at school, so I was upset. Getting an over-easy egg instead of an over-medium was the last straw."

"And I suppose you pointed this out in your ever-courteous way?" Max asked, unable to hold back a smile.

"I may have also said that the minimum wage is too much to pay for someone like her."

"Huh, no wonder Joyce got mad at you," Max chuckled. "Come on, I'm sure she's forgiven you." She turned off the engine.

Both girls stepped out of the Mini. Max let her eyes rest on the small car, locking the doors with the remote. The metallic blue tone was almost exactly the color of Chloe's hair. _I wonder how the other me happened to pick just that color. Well, I'm glad she did._

"Are you going to keep staring at your car like you just got it or shall we go inside?" Victoria asked.

"Uh, yeah, sure. Let's go inside," Max said.

As they walked towards the entrance, the brunette noticed a scruffy looking RV parked at one corner of the lot. _Frank's here,_ she thought. His client list had been crucial for Chloe and her when they had been searching for Rachel. _I wonder if he and Rachel were close in this timeline._ Max couldn't ask him though, because in this timeline, she had never met the local drug dealer.

The girls climbed the few steps to the diner entrance and opened the door. The interior of the diner looked exactly the same as it had in Max's own timeline. Max spotted Frank eating his beans at his usual booth left of the entrance. Justin and Trevor were slouching at one of the booths on the right. Officer Berry was having a coffee at the counter, talking to a man who appeared to be a truck driver. She couldn't see Joyce, though. _She must be in the back… I hope._ If Chloe's mother wasn't working, it would mean Max and Victoria would have to go to meet Joyce at her place. There was a chance David might be there too and he might get suspicious if two strangers came out of the blue to ask about his stepdaughter's whereabouts.

Max's usual booth on the right was vacant, so she led the Victoria there and they took their seats on the opposite sides of the table. Max could see the discomfort on the other girl's face as she glanced around nervously. Apparently, when she had blown up at Joyce, the blonde had not anticipated that one day she might have to return here, nor that she might have developed a conscience in the meantime. _I guess we'll find out soon enough whether Joyce is holding a grudge,_ Max thought as she saw Joyce coming in from the back. The waitress's eyes went wide as she saw who was occupying the booth. The woman set the things she had brought from the back aside, grabbed a pot of coffee and quickly made her way to Max and Victoria's booth.

"Well, Ah'll be damned, if it isn't little Max Caulfield," Joyce said with a heartfelt smile, letting her southern drawl be heard. "Look at you, you've grown into fine young woman!"

"It's good to see you, Joyce," the freckled girl responded. Even though she had seen Joyce yesterday in her own timeline, it always felt good for Max to see the older woman, who had practically been a second mother to her.

"Ah'm delighted to see you too, Max," the woman said. "Although the same can't be said about your company." Her smile vanished as she turned to look at the pixie blonde. "Ah recall saying that your presence isn't desirable in this establishment, young lady." The iciness in her tone left little room for interpretation.

"Uh, I want to express my sincere apologies for my behavior last time, Ma'am," Victoria said bashfully. "It was totally uncalled-for."

"Please, Joyce, Victoria really is sorry about it," Max pleaded. "She's changed."

"Hmph! Alright," Joyce huffed, mellowing down a bit. "Ah never could say no to you, could I, Max?" She filled the empty mugs with coffee. "What will you ladies be havin'?"

"Oh, I've been craving one of Two Whales signature bacon cheeseburgers for years," the brunette said. "I'd like one of those with fries, please."

"A club sandwich… please?" Victoria requested timidly.

Joyce cast a final stern glance at the pixie blonde, before turning to face the brunette. "Well you certainly seem to have been a good influence on this young lady here, Max," the woman said and sighed. "Ah wish you could've been here for our Chloe…" she said more to herself, rather than Max. "What brings you two ladies to this part of the world?" Joyce asked, hurriedly changing the subject.

"Well, Chloe, actually," Max answered. "I feel awful that we fell out of touch after William's death. I've come to bury the hatchet."

"Well, Ah don't blame you for falling out of touch with Chloe, after the way she told you off," Joyce remarked. "Like you had any say to your parents' move to Seattle. It was badly-timed, I admit, but nothing you could do about it."

"Anyhow," Max continued. "I meant to apply to Blackwell Academy last spring and if I got in, I would've contacted Chloe once I had settled in. Unfortunately, that plan fell through when I decided not to apply. But I'm here now."

"Ah hate to tell you this, honey, but Chloe isn't in Arcadia Bay anymore," the older woman said. "She met a girl named Rachel Amber a few years back. They were real close. Left right after Rachel's graduation."

Max couldn't hide her disappointment, even though it had been very likely that Chloe and Rachel would go through with their plan. "Do you know where they are?" she asked. "I noticed that Chloe's number isn't in use and it looks like she's shut down all her social media accounts."

"Ah'm afraid not, hon," Joyce said, frustrated. "They left pretty much without a word, and Ah haven't been able to get hold of them since. The only time Ah've heard from them is a postcard from Big Sur. It was a message from Chloe, telling me it's better Ah don't know where they're heading, and not to worry or try to look them up. They'd be in contact, when the time was right."

"Big Sur… So they've gone south," Max thought out loud. "They're probably somewhere in California," she continued, remembering what Chloe had told her in her own timeline.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Joyce sighed. "Not to worry… Ah'm her mother, of course Ah worry!"

"What about Rachel's parents?" Victoria asked in turn.

"They got a similar card from Big Sur," Joyce said. "The police won't do anything, since they're legally adults and there seems to be no foul play involved."

"I'm sorry, Joyce," Max said. "I can only begin to imagine how you must feel."

"Thank you, hon," the older woman smiled. "After William's death, things haven't been exactly smooth between Chloe and me, especially after Ah got married again."

"You've remarried?" Max asked, trying to act surprised.

"Yes, Ah'm Mrs. David Madsen nowadays," Joyce confirmed. "David is the head of the security at Blackwell Academy."

"Well, I'm glad you've been able to move on since William's death," Max commented.

"Ah just wish Chloe would've too," Joyce said. "But heavens! Here I am just ranting while you two girls must be starving to death! Let me go pass these orders to the kitchen and we'll talk some more later."

"Thanks, Joyce," the brunette said, smiling.

The older woman turned on her heel and the girls watched her sashay behind the counter and pass the order to the cook. Max took a sip of her coffee. "How are we ever going to find them?" she asked the Victoria desperately.

"Don't lose hope yet," Victoria said. "Someone at the Blackwell dorms might have more information on their whereabouts. There are a few students Rachel was close to. It's possible Rachel might have confided in someone about their plans."

"I hope so," the hipster said worriedly.

"What are you going to do if we find out where they've gone?" the pixie-cut girl asked.

"I'm going to go there," Max replied. "If you want to go home, I understand. I'll gladly pay the bus fare."

"You're not getting rid of me that easily, Caulfield," Victoria grinned. "We're in this together, y'know."

"Thanks, Vic," the brunette said, smiling. "We'll have to come up with a plan to keep our parents off our backs, though. Something tells me we're not going to be back in Seattle by Sunday evening..."

-ooo-

Frank Bowers spooned the remaining beans from his plate, a thoughtful expression on his face. The mention of Chloe and Rachel's names had got his attention. The diner had been relatively quiet, so eavesdropping on the conversation had not been too hard. He was also keen to find out where the two girls had gone, though for different reasons than the blonde and the brunette sitting in the other booth.

Frank recognized the blonde girl as one of the Blackwell students that had done business with him, although he had not seen her for some time. He had never seen the other before, though. _Well, if she can lead me to that double-dealing punk, I don't care if she's the fucking devil incarnate._ Both Chloe and Rachel had used to hang out with Frank, and he'd also had a thing going on with Rachel. That was the reason why he had agreed to lend Chloe three thousand dollars when she had asked. He had not known that Chloe was planning to sneak off with Rachel, with no intention of paying him back.

Frank had tried his best to find out the girls' whereabouts, but they seemed to have vanished from the face of the Earth. They had shut down their phones, emails and social media accounts, so he couldn't use those to track them down. Frank was also sure that Chloe had not told Joyce, so that he wouldn't try to get that information out of her.

Now these two girls had walked into the diner with the same goal he had. All Frank had to do was to follow them while they did the hard work, and then he would get his hands on that scheming punk. _Nobody pulls a fast one on Frank Bowers! Nobody!_

Frank stood up and left a few notes on the table, then walked out of the diner. He knew that he couldn't follow the two girls in his RV. He'd need something more discreet and he knew just where to get it. He pulled out his phone and made a call.

"It's me," Frank said when he heard a man's voice on the other end. "I'm calling in a favor. You still got that Sportster Harley…?"

 **To be continued...**

* * *

 **A/N: Welcome back to another installment of Saving Rachel Amber! In this chapter we shed some light how Victoria became friends with Max. We also shift to POVs other than just Max and introduce new characters.  
**

 **In the game we get to see mostly the bitchy side of Victoria save for a few moments. It's funny that when I think of Victoria, I think of Frasier Crane. Slightly snobbish and dignified, but deep inside a kind soul. That is the Victoria I've tried to bring forth in my stories.**

 **Thank you again for the reviews! Please keep them coming as they fuel my creativity.**

 **A special thanks to my beta reader, Crowthorne and also to his sister! They did a wonderful job ironing out the quirks in my English.**

 **Until next time...**


	4. Out in LA

**October 11, 2013** **5:03 p.m.**

The footfalls of tens of construction workers making their way through a narrow gate raised a dust cloud that stood out clearly in the late afternoon sunlight. The day's work at a construction site in Westchester, Los Angeles had ended, and the workers braced themselves for the notorious LA traffic during the rush hour.

The majority of the workers were of Hispanic origin, and male, so the skinny white woman with a hint of azure blue at the top of the blonde bangs stood out among them. The beanie that rested slackly on the back of her head was covered in dust and paint specks, offering only hints of its original dark blue color. The heavy-duty workwear, including the reinforced boots, also sported their share of specks. She was carrying a hard hat and a tool west in her hands, and a burning cigarette was hanging loosely between her lips.

"Hey Chloe, vienes a tomar unas cervezas?" one of the Hispanic workmen asked her in his native language.

"Gracias, pero me voy a casa. Quizá otro día?" Chloe Price responded in the same language. As much as she craved an ice cold beer, she just wanted to go home and snuggle with Rachel.

"Seguro! Nos vemos el lunes!" the man said, smiling.

"Si, nos vemos!" The punk lifted her vest-holding arm for goodbye and watched how the man joined his workmates. Chloe grinned. She might have been a high school drop-out, but before all the turmoil in her life, she had been paying attention on Spanish and French classes. Little had she known then that she would be needing her language skills in this kind of situation.

Taking drags from the cigarette, Chloe walked slowly towards her car. She had been working on this construction site pretty much right after they came to LA. Like many of her Hispanic workmates, Chloe worked off the books, which suited her more than fine. The foreman had looked at her disdainfully, when she had gone to ask for work. Not discouraged by that, the punk had offered that she'd work three days for free. If he wasn't happy with her, she'd walk away, no grudge. The foreman had sneered incredulously, but he'd agreed to the girl's terms. What had he got to lose? She probably wouldn't last for a day.

The foreman had called one of his subordinates and told him to give the lanky girl the shittiest and heaviest job there was to be done. Chloe had ended up carrying bricks to the bricklayers. Relentlessly, the bluenette had carried stacks of bricks where they were needed. Not once had she complained about it, nor had she taken any extra breathers. Only when Chloe had returned home, she had begun crying from all the muscle pain. It had taken a joint and half a pack of Advil for her to able to sleep.

The foreman had not been able to hide his amazement, when the punk girl had appeared into his office the next morning. This time he had assigned her to carry lumber to the carpenters. Again, Chloe had performed her task, holding whatever scornful thoughts she might have had, closely within her. She wouldn't give that prick foreman the satisfaction.

On the third day, the foreman, impressed by the lanky girl's persistence, had decided to give the newcomer a chance and assigned her to do carpentry work. The fact that Chloe was a high school drop-out told absolutely nothing about her learning abilities. By lunch break, she had been well up to the task, and the quality of her work had been at least comparable to the others.

When the third day had been over the foreman had asked Chloe into his office. He had said that he was man enough to admit it when he was wrong. He had been impressed by the punk girl's work, and that the job was hers if she wanted it. Needless to say, Chloe had accepted the offer. She had turned to leave, when the foreman had stopped her. He had given her two hundred dollars for the three days. The foreman had said that Chloe would be paid under the table at the end of every week, and there was no guarantee how long the job would continue. "Fair enough," the bluenette had said and shaken hands with the foreman.

It had taken some time for Chloe to find her place among the construction workers. Not everyone had reacted kindly to the young woman, who was working off the books. The Mexican workers, who were in a similar situation as she was, had had no issues working with her as long as she pulled her own weight. Being competent in Spanish had not hurt either.

Chloe had been working at the construction site for four months now. She'd been doing all kinds of jobs, mostly carpentry, as she seemed to have a knack at it. The punk had thought about taking classes in carpentry and begin making furniture out of wood, but that would have to wait until the unforeseeable future.

Chloe took a last drag of her cigarette, before throwing it away as she arrived at her car. Soon after Chloe and Rachel had settled into Los Angeles, Chloe's old, battered truck had finally kicked the bucket. Since they were going to need a car, Chloe had set out to look for a replacement. After some looking, she'd come across with a 1998 Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor. Since it was an unmarked unit, it had not been white as the regular patrol cars. Instead, it had been metallic chestnut brown. She had felt her heart twist when she had realized what the slightly faded color had reminded her of. The image of a crying brunette running out of Chloe's room had flashed in her mind.

The car had been in decent shape for its age. Having spent her share of time in the back seat of such cars, Chloe had known what to look at. Even though it had not been a patrol car, it had been equipped with a heavy duty drivetrain and suspension. It had been a bargain for the price it was going for. The papers had been made and the punk had become an owner of a former police car.

Unfortunately, being a former police car didn't keep it from being ticketed for parking at a no-parking zone. Chloe sighed as she pulled the parking ticket out from under the windscreen wiper blade. She opened the trunk and put her utility vest and her hard hat in there. She sat behind the wheel, opened the glove compartment to put the parking ticket among the other ones. She put the key in the ignition and turned it. The 4.6 liter V8 came to life and began its steady low growl under the hood. The punk put the car in drive and set out to face the rush hour.

-ooo-

"Here ya go, Rachel," an elderly female office assistant said, handing a check to the long-haired blonde standing on the other side of the desk.

"Thank you, Betsy!" Rachel Amber responded and took the check into her hands. Her eyes flew open when she saw the amount written on it. "Wow! This much?" the hazel-eyed girl asked.

"Of course," Betsy Monaghan answered. "Head shots pay a lot better than hand shots."

"So I see…" the blonde muttered, still staring at the check in awe.

"I'm glad Alex convinced you to do some headshots," Betsy said. "You have such a beautiful face."

"Thanks!" Rachel let out a smile. Her looks had always been her strong suit, and they had helped to pave the way in more situations than she cared to admit. They certainly had not hurt when she had got this job, doing modeling gigs for the advertising agency, whose premises she was now at.

"The 'La Vida' with your picture is out today. Here's a copy if you want." Betsy took a copy of the magazine out of a stack and handed it to the blonde. "Alex asked me to tell you that there might be another face-shoot gig next week, if you're interested," she continued.

"Y'know…" Rachel took another look at the check. "I might be."

"Great! We'll be in touch next week," the assistant said, as she wrote something onto a post-it note and attached it on the corner of her display.

"Okay, see you then," Rachel said as she headed to the door. She pulled the glass door open and stepped into a corridor heading to the elevator. _It's going to be tight but I should make it to the next bus,_ the girl with the jay earring thought as she pressed the call button.

-ooo-

Chloe parked her car in her designated spot at the lot belonging to their apartment building on North Indiana Avenue, Lincoln Heights. Both she and Rachel loved the youthful atmosphere of the neighborhood. Lincoln Heights was considered to be the oldest part of Los Angeles outside of downtown. Its population consisted mostly of Latino and Asian residents.

Chloe turned the ignition off. As she grabbed the handle to open the driver's side door, she caught a glimpse of her reflection in the sun visor vanity mirror. _It's been a while since I've looked this… blonde,_ she thought, letting out a wistful sigh. Chloe hadn't been re-dying her hair since their arrival. As her hair had grown and she had trimmed it shorter, the blue tone had gradually diminished to the point where it was one haircut away from vanishing completely. In a way, it had become a symbol of their new life in California.

Chloe stepped out of the car and locked it. Instead of going straight into their apartment, she went out of the gate and began to walk towards a small grocery shop, a couple of blocks down the street. While walking, the punk girl observed her surroundings cautiously, keeping an eye out for anyone that might possibly be looking for Rachel and her. Over the months, she'd become quite competent in the ability of analyzing her surroundings with a single glance. Even Chloe herself admitted that her meticulousness was beginning to verge on paranoia, but there was a valid reason for her behavior.

In order to get to California, Chloe had had to resort to borrowing three thousand dollars from Frank Bowers to fix her truck. She had actually been surprised when the drug dealer had agreed to loan the whole amount, but as long as she got the money, she didn't care about Frank's motives. Chloe had promised to pay Frank back by the end of June, with no intention of keeping her word. Not paying back Frank, though, meant that Chloe and Rachel would have to keep a very low profile, so that the drug dealer couldn't track them down.

Chloe and Rachel had left Arcadia Bay quietly, telling no-one where they were heading. They'd agreed to send postcards to their parents, telling them not to worry, but nothing else. Chloe had shut down their social media accounts and emails. They had disposed of the SIM cards of their phones and got pre-paid SIM cards to replace them. The change of hair color was another measure for keeping a low profile. Of course it would've been more sensible to just dye the hair back to blonde, or some other more discreet color, but for reasons not quite clear to herself, Chloe had decided to let her natural tone grow.

The former bluenette stepped inside the grocery shop and nodded to the Hispanic shop clerk as she took a shopping basket. The small shop had become Chloe and Rachel's regular place for their daily shopping. It was Chloe's turn to make dinner, so she picked a pack of macaroni from the shelf and a pack of ground beef from the cooler. She cursed to herself for that she had not paid more attention to what her mother had tried to teach her about cooking. Hence dishes like macaroni and ground beef were pretty much the extent of her cooking skills. Chloe did take pride about her pancakes, though.

As she walked down the aisle, picking up various items, Chloe thought about their situation. They couldn't keep on going like this much longer, as the constant fear was eating them both out and it held them back. Chloe had actually began to put some money aside, hoping to accumulate enough to pay Frank back. That plan had however taken a little setback, when her truck had finally kicked in the bucket and she had had to buy a new car. Still, she reckoned she'd have the loan sum plus some interest together by next summer if all went well. Then, she and especially Rachel could really pursue their dreams. The punk felt sorry for her partner, who'd had had to settle for doing menial hand modeling gigs.

 _I should probably try to find a second job, so that I could pay Frank back sooner,_ Chloe thought as she began to set her items on the counter. _My angel deserves better than this. Hmm, maybe I'll buy her some mag to cheer her up._ She looked at the magazine rack next to the counter.

"A pack of Roughwood Lights, please," the punk said to the shop clerk, as she picked up an issue of the La Vida lifestyle magazine and began to fumble through the pages. Suddenly, she stopped and flicked back a few pages, reaching the spread that had caught her attention. There, on a full page advert, Rachel was smiling radiantly at her. The color dissipated from Chloe's tanned face upon recognition, the same way the sea withdraws itself from the beach before the tsunami. The color returned like the billow, turning her face beet red, as she furrowed her brows in frustration and her lips narrowed into an angry scowl. "That little…" she muttered through her clenched teeth. Her blue nails dug deep into the glossy cover as she held the magazine in her grasp.

"Ma'am, are you going to buy that?" the clerk asked, frowning at the punk.

Chloe cast a murderous glance at the clerk and slammed the wrinkled magazine on the counter. "I most abso-fucking-lutely am!" she huffed at the man, who stepped back at the sudden outburst. "Wouldn't want to tear my no-good girlfriend a new one without any evidence!"

The bemused clerk hastily punched in the rest of the items and put them in the bag. Chloe dug out a few wrinkled notes from her pocket and set them on the counter. She took the bag and barged out of the store, without bothering to wait for the change.

-ooo-

Rachel stepped out of the bus. Her regular stop was a few blocks away from their home, so she was facing about a ten minute walk on the crowded streets. She didn't mind, though, as she enjoyed the lively atmosphere of their neighborhood. Even though it was late autumn, the temperature was still almost 80, more than enough for Rachel just to have an open red flannel over a black tank top with denim shorts and Chuck Taylors. The heat of the late afternoon sun caressed her face and her bare tanned legs. She dug out her pilot Ray-bans and put them on.

Rachel was in a good mood. The paycheck she had got from the modeling gig would help her to properly contribute to the living expenses she shared with Chloe. Her mood was dragged down a notch, however, when she felt a slight sting in her conscience. Well aware of the circumstances surrounding their arrival, Rachel knew that she shouldn't have been doing face shots. This was completely against what they had agreed upon when they had arrived. Still, Rachel couldn't help feeling frustration over having to do random hand modeling gigs while there were a lot more face modeling gigs available, and she was practically begged for those. She knew that she was too short for full body shoots, and her C-cup bust didn't exactly match the standards of the top tier fashion world either. She did figure, though, that in more questionable areas of modeling, her rack would've been an asset.

 _Mark said he wanted to shoot me…_ Rachel thought, triggering another twinge of guilt. She had not still found the courage to tell Chloe that she had been in a relationship with other people while she was with Chloe; first with Frank Bowers, and then with Mark Jefferson. She had been trying to muster up the courage to tell Chloe when the whole thing with Nathan had gone down. Soon after that, Mark had quit and left Arcadia Bay abruptly, dumping Rachel in a letter – the same way she had planned to dump Chloe. Having already broken up with Frank because of his volatile temper, Rachel had decided to stick with Chloe and leave to California with her.

At that point, it had been mostly a practical arrangement for her. It was by no means an unpleasant arrangement – she enjoyed the punk's company, and the sex was pretty awesome too. Unfortunately, she had recently come to the conclusion that she would never be able offer Chloe more than friendship, with benefits. Regardless, Rachel realized that their relationship would come to an end sooner or later. She just feared that the longer they clung to it, the more frenzied their break-up would be. That wasn't on today's agenda, however.

As Rachel crossed the street, she pondered whether or not to tell Chloe about her photo shoot. The odds that the punk would see her picture were relatively small, as she didn't read the types of magazines where the advert would be. Apparently porn or tattoo mags were more up Chloe's alley, rather than the ones related to fashion and lifestyle. Nevertheless, Rachel didn't want to keep the money hidden from Chloe; they had been living mostly on Chloe's income, and Rachel really wanted to pull her weight.

 _Maybe I'll take her to dinner and tell her then,_ the hazel-eyed blonde thought, as she climbed the stairs to the second story where their apartment was. _With this paycheck I can take her to some place fancier than the usual food joints._

Rachel turned the key in the lock and stepped in. Their apartment consisted of a combined living room and kitchen, separated by a bar desk which acted as a breakfast and serving table. On one wall, there were entrances to the single bedroom and the bathroom. The wall opposite the entrance was mostly windowed, with an entrance to the balcony. She and Chloe had furnished the apartment mostly with second hand stuff, found from thrift stores and garage sales. The only new piece of furniture was the queen-sized bed, bought from the local Bed, Bath and Beyond. Rachel thought that their home was a huge improvement over her dorm room, and especially Chloe's room at her home.

"Hi, Chlo! How was your day?" Rachel asked as she hung her bag on the rack and stepped further into the apartment. She found the punk sitting at the breakfast table, smoking and scowling at her. "I thought we agreed that we don't smoke indoors." Rachel asked, slightly bemused by her partner's expression.

"Yes we did!" Chloe took a deep drag from her cigarette, exhaling it towards the other girl. "We also agreed that you don't do head shots before we have paid up Frank!"

Only then Rachel spotted the magazine on the breakfast table, folded open to the page where the advert with her face was. "Oh my god…"

"God won't help you now!" the punk huffed furiously. "What the fuck were you thinking?"

"C'mon, Frank doesn't read lifestyle mags!" The blonde was beginning to get agitated. "What are the odds?"

"Well, I don't read lifestyle mags either, and yet, here we are," the former bluenette shot back, stubbing out the cigarette. "If Frank sees that picture, he'll be able to track us down!"

"The agency wouldn't give my contact info to Frank even if he by some chance did manage to figure out its name," Rachel reasoned, although the tone of her voice was far from reasonable. "You're too fucking paranoid about the whole thing!"

"Paranoid? You don't know Frank like I do!" Chloe stood up. "You don't know what he's capable of! When it comes to money, it doesn't matter how good buddies you are with him!"

 _But I do…_ Rachel almost said but bit her tongue at the last moment. She was almost certain that she would be able to talk Frank down, even though they had broken up, but that would mean Chloe would find out about them. "Why do you think I took this gig in the first place?" she asked instead. "Face model gigs pay a hella lot more than hand model gigs. I figured we'd get the money together sooner this way."

The punk's stern expression softened immediately upon hearing the blonde's words. "It's not your debt." Chloe looked away bashfully. "I couldn't ask you to…"

"Look at me," Rachel said as she walked to her partner and grabbed her from the shoulders to face her. "We're in this together, you and me. Your debt is my debt." She leaned over to kiss Chloe. The bitter taste of the tobacco was still fresh in the taller girl's mouth, but Rachel didn't care. She felt the tense body relaxing in her hands, and pulling her closer into an embrace, not breaking the kiss at any point. Rachel shifted her own hands around the other girl's lean, muscular back, feeling the shoulder blades moving as Chloe shifted her own hands downwards to feel the smooth, round shape of the smaller girl's buttocks. Rachel could feel the heat building up inside her, when Chloe suddenly broke off the kiss and looked into the flustered eyes.

"How much did they pay you for the gig?" the punk asked, a curious grin on her face.

Rachel eased herself from the embrace and dug out the check from her bag, giving it to the other girl. Judging from Chloe's widened eyes, she was impressed by the figure. "That's… not bad," she admitted. "But you could've discussed with me first."

"I know, and I want to make it up to you," the hazel-eyed girl said. "How about I take you out to eat, someplace nice?"

"Well, that's a starter," the punk answered. "But first you're gonna have to help me to wake up my appetite." She grinned mischievously and eased the flannel shirt off of her partner.

-ooo-

In Santa Monica, at a Barnes & Noble, a copy of La Vida was being picked up from the rack and leafed through. The man browsing the magazine was about to put the magazine back into the rack, when he suddenly noticed a face that he recognized on one spread.

"Rachel…?" the man breathed out silently, as he adjusted his glasses. He folded the magazine and took it under the light in order to get a better look at the advertisement. _It is you,_ he decided, upon closer inspection of the picture, and smiled.

 _This is an unexpected opportunity,_ the man thought as he closed the magazine and walked to the counter. _I need to investigate this further, and possibly make some preparations._

He arrived at the counter and put the magazine on the desk, from where the sales clerk took it and scanned it into to the register.

"That'll be $11.99, sir. Do you need a bag for it?" the clerk asked.

"No, thank you. I can carry it in my satchel," Mark Jefferson answered.

 **To be continued...**

* * *

 **A/N: Hi and sorry for such a long delay between chapters. Working on a drawing competition entry and suffering from a slight writer's block has slowed down my progress. With the competition out of the way, I should be able to come up with the next chapter sooner, hopefully.  
**

 **In this chapter, we shift the perspective over to sunny California, and L.A., where Chloe and Rachel hold their residence. We take a quick glance at their current situation, and also introduce the final player in the story, who probably doesn't need any further introductions. From this point, the chapters may have scenes from any of the major characters, instead of having been concentrated on one or two.**

 **A shoutout and thanks to MaiQuieti for the Spanish translations!**

 **Thank you again for the reviews! Looking forward to hear your thoughts about this chapter.**


	5. Everyday Hero

**October 11, 2013, 6:28 p.m.**

Max parked the Mini in the Blackwell Academy parking zone. It felt incredibly weird for her to be here. Only yesterday, she had been one of the Blackwell students. Now, she was just a visitor. A total stranger to her former classmates. _Kate, Dana, Warren, I miss you guys already! How am I supposed to act like I've never met you?_

"Welcome to Blackhell, Max." Victoria shook the freckled girl out of her thoughts. "My home for almost three years." There was a hint of nostalgia in the pixie-haired girl's voice.

"Your… domain?" the brunette asked suggestively, partly afraid, partly curious about the reaction it might rouse.

Victoria frowned momentarily upon the remark, before the wistfulness returned in her eyes. "Yeah, I suppose you could say it was my domain," she admitted. "Looking back at that time, it seems so pointless, the whole act that I kept up." A frustrated sigh escaped her lips. "You know, one of the reasons I was so reluctant to come here with you was that I'd have to come to terms with my past deeds, and the people I've hurt."

Max turned to look at her traveling companion. The girl sitting next to her couldn't be further from the Victoria that she used to know. She knew that if she had met this Victoria in her own timeline, they would've been inseparable, like the Max in this timeline seemed to be. _Maybe even…_ the brunette flinched at the thought that slipped into her mind and quickly shook it off.

"Don't worry, Vic. I'll stand beside you all the way," the hipster said with an assertive smile.

"Thank you, Max." The pixie-haired girl returned the smile. "I can't wait to get to introduce you to Courtney and Taylor. I'm sure you guys will hit it off."

Max cringed internally. Her encounters with the minions of the Queen Bee had been less than pleasant for the most part. She had been able to make some kind of connection with them a few days ago, but that had happened in another life. Now she would be starting from a blank slate with them. _Well, at least now I have Victoria on my side,_ the hipster thought as she opened the car door.

"Now, if we happen to run to David Madsen, just be quiet and let me do the talking," Victoria said as they stepped out of the car. "He's extremely suspicious about strangers within the campus area."

 _And also outside the campus area,_ Max thought, remembering the encounter in Chloe's room. "I don't think it will be a problem, since I know Chloe and Joyce," she responded. "Did you text Courtney or Taylor to let them know we're coming?"

"I texted Taylor before our departure," the blonde answered and let out an impish grin. "I hope there's time for a small slumber party in our schedule?"

"Uh, I suppose we can squeeze that in," the brunette said, trying to cover her hesitation with a grin. A slumber party definitely wasn't at the top of her priorities. On the other hand they needed to sleep somewhere, and the dorm room of either one of Victoria's former minions seemed like the most likely option. _Who knows, maybe it'll offer a chance to mingle with the other girls._

The girls walked to the stairs leading up to the main courtyard. Even though the classes had already ended for the day, there were still quite a lot of people lounging around the fountain. True to her nature, the brunette scanned the courtyard for familiar faces, and her mood brightened when she spotted a familiar dirty blonde bun hairdo. _Kate!_ The small Christian girl was sitting on a bench, in the vicinity of the fountain. _I gotta go and introduce myself to her, but why does she look as glum as she did after the Vortex Club party?_ Max's initial joy turned into puzzlement. _It can't be because of the party. According to Victoria, the Vortex Club died with Nathan._

"Oh, there are Courtney and Taylor," Victoria said, pointing to the two girls that had just arrived at the bench where Kate was sitting.

Max and Victoria weren't close enough to hear the actual words, but the brunette could tell from the two other girls' gestures and the mocking tone of their voice why Courtney and Taylor were paying a visit to Kate. _It seems some things never change,_ Max thought, and turned to look at the pixie-haired girl next to her. For a passing moment, she could see an angry scowl on the blonde's face before returning to a regular expression.

"Let's go meet them," Victoria said, and picked up her pace, leaving the bedazzled hipster half a step behind. "Courtney! Sweet T!" she hailed, ignoring the petite, gloomy blonde altogether.

Max frowned at her companion. _So is this how easily my so-called best friend slips back into her old ways?_ She didn't say anything, though, as she followed the other girl to the bench where the other girls were.

"Victoria!" Courtney said when she noticed the blonde approaching. "Perfect timing! Miss Goody Two-shoes here is just about to get her fifteen minutes of fame, or should we say infamy. The raven-haired girl smirked mockingly at the small girl who looked at her tormentors in desperation. "Your abstinence campaign will get a real kick out this video, Kate."

"Can I see it?" Victoria asked, still not paying attention to the small girl with the quivering lips and teary eyes.

Max looked at the blonde in disbelief. _Friends or not, I'm not just gonna stand here and watch Kate being bullied like this!_ "Victoria…"

"Shush, Max!" the blonde shut the brunette up, lifting her finger to emphasize her command, as she took the offered smartphone from Courtney with her free hand.

Max was appalled at the sudden change in the other girl's behavior. This was the Victoria she knew all too well. She was about to open her mouth again to put a stop to this charade once and for all, when she caught a glimpse of the pixie-haired girl's eyes. Max couldn't explain how, but in that brief moment, she saw that Victoria was silently pleading for her friend to trust her on this. The brunette decided to back down and see how this played out.

"What do we have here?" the blonde asked, looking at the phone judgingly.

"We had a party at a warehouse, downtown yesterday night," Courtney explained. "Little Katie here showed up and showed her true colors. I was just about to upload it when you guys came."

"So this is the only copy?"

"Yeah, I'll upload it as soon as you've watched it," the raven-haired girl confirmed.

Max watched as Victoria opened the file and began watching it. Max gave in to her curiosity and peeked over the pixie-haired girl's shoulder. The video showed Kate, in a disoriented state, straddling and kissing some boy that was sitting on a sofa. Max hadn't seen the video of Kate in her own timeline, and now she wished she had not seen this one either. She was just about to tell Victoria to stop the playback, when the blonde suddenly tapped and wiped the screen swiftly, before withdrawing her hand rapidly, accompanied by a gasp. "Oops, I deleted it. How clumsy of me!" she exclaimed, clearly feigning the embarrassment in her voice.

"What?" Courtney blurted, flabbergasted. "Gimme that!" She reached for her phone, but she was too late, as Victoria let it slip from her hands and fall to the ground, where the delicate screen smashed into hundreds of shards upon the impact. "You did that on purpose!" She glared at the other girl furiously.

"Of course I did!" Victoria huffed back. "Don't worry about your precious phone. I'll get you a new one."

Both Taylor and Kate stared at the pixie-haired girl in amazement. Even Max was surprised about Victoria's act, and she had known to expect something. _Wowser, Vic!_

"But... why?" Courtney finally asked, recovering from the initial shock.

"Did you even bother to find out why she might have acted the way she did?" Victoria asked, letting her wrath now show.

"Why should I have?" the other girl snorted. "It was pretty obvious. Miss Abstinence here decided to give in to the dark side, and couldn't handle it."

"Well let's hear it from… Kate, was it?" the blonde turned her attention over the sitting girl, smiling empathetically at her. "Can you tell us what happened?"

"I… I went to the party with a couple of friends of mine," the petite girl explained timidly. "I had one glass of red wine – well not even the full glass, a couple of sips really. I mean, I'm not a complete stranger to alcohol. I've had communion wine at the service, and I actually have a bottle of the same wine at my dorm room. I know my limits."

"What happened then?"

"After that, everything's just blank," Kate continued. "Next thing I remember is waking up in my room with Alyssa, one of my friends keeping watch over me. She told me that she and my other friend, Stella had taken me back to my dorm after I 'blacked out'."

"Did you leave your drink unattended?"

"I only placed it on the bar desk briefly once, while I checked my phone," the Christian girl answered. "Why?"

"A few sips of wine isn't enough to black out, even if you'd never had a drink in your life," Victoria said matter-of-factly. "And spiking a drink with knockout drops is surprisingly easy and inconspicuous."

"Are you suggesting someone spiked my drink?" Kate asked.

"I know that you weren't here last spring, but I take that you know what went down here back then?" the blonde asked the smaller girl.

"The Prescott case…?" the Christian girl suggested.

"Mm-hmm," Victoria confirmed. "According to the police, Nathan had slipped GHB or a similar drug into the drinks of his victims at Vortex Club parties. Fortunately, contrary what the press initially claimed, he only took photos of them in their incapacitated state. Somehow, I doubt you would have been so lucky, if your friends had not looked after you."

Kate gasped, looking visibly shaken by the thought. Taylor, too seemed slightly taken aback by what Victoria had said. Conversely, Courtney crossed her arms and scoffed. The blonde looked at her former minions sternly. "I think you both owe a huge apology to Kate here."

"Well, isn't that a little rich coming from you, Victoria?" the raven-haired girl asked with a sneer.

Victoria flinched; clearly Courtney had struck a nerve. "Fuck you, Courtney!" the blonde huffed angrily.

"Your new bitch has made you soft-" Courtney's mocking sentence was cut short when Victoria slapped her right across the face.

"Don't. Ever. Talk. That. Way. About. Max," the blonde said with a husky tone, glaring at the dumbfounded girl who was rubbing her stinging cheek.

Max looked at Victoria with a mixture of bedazzlement and admiration. She was surprised to see the blonde react so fiercely to Courtney's taunt. _Wowser! Didn't see that one coming._

"You know what? Fuck you, Victoria!" Courtney retorted. "You're no longer the Queen Bee here! Who gives a shit what you think!" She turned on her heels and stormed away. "You coming, Tay?" she snapped at the blonde in shorts, without stopping.

"I…" she looked questioningly at Victoria.

"You better go after her, Sweet T," the pixie-haired girl answered. "I don't want you two to break up because of me."

"I'll talk to her," Taylor said. "You two can still crash at my room, even though I think the slumber party will go slightly differently… And I'm truly sorry, Kate," she turned to look at the smaller girl, who was still sitting on the bench. "I've been a total bitch to you. I've been following Courtney's lead too easily. I really should've got to know you first and drawn my own conclusions."

"I accept your apology, Taylor," Kate said, smiling. "If you want to get to know me, you're welcome to come over for tea anytime."

"I'd like that," the blonde in shorts said, smiling back. "But I think I'd better go after Courtney. See you guys later!" She ran after the raven-haired girl.

"Thank you so much… Victoria, is it?" Kate stood up and looked gratefully at the taller blonde.

"Oh, sorry. We didn't get the chance to properly introduce ourselves in all this," Victoria said, offering her hand. "My name is Victoria Chase. I am the former Queen Bitch of this school."

"Pleased to meet you, Victoria," Kate said, shaking the offered hand. "I'm Kate Marsh, and I think 'Bitch' hardly describes you."

"Well, I think some of your classmates might think otherwise," the pixie-haired girl said, blushing ever so slightly. "This here is my friend, Maxine Caulfield, although for reasons completely beyond my comprehension, she insists on being called Max." She gave way to the brunette who let out an audible groan upon hearing the sassy remark related to her birth name as she stepped forward.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Kate," Max said, shaking hands with the smaller girl who didn't seem to notice the slight tremble in the brunette's voice. _I'm a complete stranger to her,_ she thought plaintively.

"I feel truly blessed to have met you two today," Kate said, her former gloomy expression having given way to one of joyful gratitude. "I honestly don't know what I would've done, if that video had gone viral. I would've been a disgrace to my family and congregation back home. My parents would've taken me out of Blackwell for sure, and my sisters would've never got an opportunity like this."

 _Sweet little Katie,_ the hipster thought. _Even in her own despair, she finds it in herself to think about others._ The trepid moment on the roof of the dormitory building still flashed vividly in Max's mind, as she'd had to rely on her memory and intuition to stop the desperate girl from jumping down. Max's rewind powers had stopped working at the worst possible moment, so she couldn't use them to rewind back, if things had taken the turn for the worse. Carefully considering every word, taking into account what she had learned of Kate so far, Max had managed to persuade the petite girl to come down from the edge and accept the brunette's embrace.

Had it just been sheer luck that Kate was now recovering in the hospital, rather than in the morgue? Or was she anymore? Did that reality even exist in some parallel timeline? Was there a timeline where Max had not been able to save her friend? _Ugh! This time travel shit is overwhelming!_ What mattered was that Kate seemed noticeably happier than she had when they had arrived, all thanks to Victoria. Max looked at the blonde with admiration. If she'd had any doubts of the pixie-haired girl's redemption, she had them no more.

"I would like to express my gratitude somehow," Kate said, her previous melancholy now gone.

"Oh, there is really no need," Victoria responded, close to being embarrassed.

"Let me at least offer you tea and biscuits at my room," the petite blonde offered.

"How could we possibly say no to that?" Max cast an inquiring glance at Victoria who nodded in agreement.

"We'd be delighted," the pixie blonde confirmed. "Also, we seem to be one person short for our little slumber party, so if you don't have anything planned for tonight…"

-ooo-

A Winnebago R/V slowed down when it passed the Blackwell Academy parking lot. Its slightly shabby and dented appearance easily gave away that it didn't belong to an elderly couple that spent their retirement days cruising around the continent. This R/V was its owner's home, office and means of transportation, and aesthetics weren't really essential in that equation.

Frank Bowers leaned forward on the driver's seat to scan the vehicles occupying the lot, and grunted in contentment when he spotted the metallic blue Mini Cooper parked close to the stairs leading to the campus. He'd paid careful attention to conversation between the two girls while he had finished his meal. Fortunately, it had been relatively quiet in the diner, so he had been able to eavesdrop discreetly and without effort. Therefore, he knew that the girls would be heading to the school, and he didn't have to be on their tail. A Winnebago wasn't exactly the most discreet vehicle for tailing someone.

Frank pressed the accelerator and moved on. He would've wanted to park at the parking lot and keep a lookout in case the girls would leave; but since Nathan Prescott's death, his loitering at the Blackwell parking lot was no longer overlooked. The drug dealer's business had taken a remarkable hit, when Sean Prescott, the most significant benefactor of Blackwell, had held him partially responsible for his son's demise.

Frank had been Nathan's sole supplier and that had come with a few benefits, like the ability to operate in the immediate vicinity of the school, without being pestered by Blackwell's security or the police. When Nathan had committed suicide by taking a lethal overdose with the drugs that Frank had supplied to him, Sean had taken Frank into his sights. Almost immediately after the cause of Nathan's death had been determined, David Madsen had been knocking on the door of his R/V with Officer Anderson Berry. The head of Blackwell security had smiled triumphantly when he had told Frank to haul his Winnebago elsewhere. Madsen had finally got the authority to actually do his job, and it hadn't required much deduction who was behind the sudden change of atmosphere.

Frank had initially considered himself lucky, since he hadn't been arrested for drug trafficking, or simply disposed of. Sean certainly had the means and the mindset to do either one. But the Prescott patriarch by no means had the intention to let the petty criminal off easy. Save for a few regulars, Frank's business had all but dried up. He began to have trouble paying his own suppliers and had to resort to his savings to keep them off his back. Now he was really struggling, and his dream of putting up a dog shelter was slipping away. Sean might as well have put him out of his misery. Maybe it was time to relocate, but first he'd settle the score with Chloe Price.

Not being able to keep a lookout at the Blackwell parking lot wasn't a big issue. Frank was pretty certain the girls wouldn't leave before dawn, so he would have plenty of time to drive to Bay City to pick up his friend's motorbike and leave the R/V and his dog, Pompidou, there. By early morning, Frank would be ready and waiting for the girls by the school exit.

-ooo-

The skyline of downtown Los Angeles appeared as a series of dark silhouettes, covered in colorful dots against the darkening sky, with the last remnants of golden hue disappearing into the horizon. The twilight didn't seem to have any effect on the traffic that flowed in endless lines of white and red shimmer along the streets.

Chloe followed the flow of traffic nonchalantly, leaning on the railing of their balcony, smoking a cigarette. She kept her arms extended over the concrete rail, letting the mild ocean breeze fondle her skin and bring much needed relief to the warm, moist autumn climate. The dinner that Rachel had treated her at a local Tex-Mex grill was still weighing heavily in her stomach. It certainly had been worthwhile to build up the appetite in the bedroom, in more ways than one. A grin rose on the former bluenette's face when she thought about the intimate moment between Rachel and her prior to dinner.

If something had always worked in their relationship, it had been sex, especially make-up sex. Lately, though, quite a lot of their lovemaking had occurred after an argument over something. A veil of melancholy landed over Chloe's face. _This wasn't exactly how I imagined our life here,_ she thought as she took a drag of her cigarette. Life certainly wasn't as carefree and happy as she had thought. Neither Rachel nor Chloe had lived on their own before they moved to LA. Rachel, of course, had been living at the school dormitory, but even that had been pretty laid-back compared to being completely independent.

As much as Chloe longed to continue the easygoing life of a teenager, doing all sorts of dorky things together with Rachel, she had soon become to accept the realities of living on their own. Rent and other necessities didn't pay themselves, and having to settle for odd jobs dictated a tight and planned economy. All this had meant adopting a completely different mindset. Wistfully, Chloe had harnessed her rebellious nature, and began to act more responsibly. _If Mom could see me now,_ she thought, chuckling to herself. _I'd never hear the end of her telling me how she told me so._

Unfortunately, Rachel had not adjusted as well to their new circumstances as Chloe had. She liked to stay up late, resulting in Chloe having a hard time waking up for work in the mornings. Rachel was more careless with her money use, and above all, she didn't fully understand the importance of keeping a low profile. They'd had several arguments over all of these matters, with either one of them relenting at some point and continuing the conversation in the bedroom, or on the kitchen table, or simply on the living room floor.

Chloe knew that the constant fighting wasn't good for their relationship in the long run. Still, Rachel was her angel, and she didn't know what she'd do if the hazel-eyed blonde left her. Chloe wasn't good at handling abandonment. She'd found that out in the worst kind of way when her father, William had died, and Max Caulfield, her childhood friend, with whom she had been almost inseparable, let her know that her family was moving to Seattle. Chloe knew it was not Max's decision and there was nothing her friend could do about it. That hadn't stopped Chloe from taking it all out on the poor girl. Max had ran out of Chloe's home in tears, and they had not been in contact since. From time to time, Chloe wondered how Max was doing, and contemplated reaching out to her. She never could find the courage to do so, as she thought too much time had passed, and Max had simply moved on.

 _A bang-up job handling your friendship, Price,_ the punk thought as she blew another cloud of smoke out of her lungs. _No wonder she never bothered to contact you all these years._

"Whatcha thinking?" Rachel asked as she walked to lean against the railing, next to her partner.

"Oh, nothing special," Chloe lied, passing the half burned cigarette to the blonde, who took it between her fingers.

"Mrs. Lopez from the first floor dropped by," the hazel-eyed girl said and took a drag of the cigarette. "She left a bowl of sopapillas to thank you for fixing her dishwasher."

"That's nice of her," Chloe said. "Although she really didn't need to. All I did was change a few gaskets and clean the sieve."

"Well, she didn't seem to think so," Rachel said. "Besides, that's not the only thing you've been fixing at our condominium. The stairs leading to the upper story were a hazard, until you fixed them."

"I got tired of waiting for the property maintenance to come take care of it," the punk commented. "I must've called them a fucking hundred times."

"Oh I still remember the look on the maintenance guy's face when he finally came to fix it, and saw it was already fixed," Rachel chuckled. "And how you practically tore him a new one, when he tried to tell you that you're not supposed to fix them yourself. I can still hear the other tenants applauding when he went away."

"Ugh, don't remind me!" Chloe groaned. "Ever since that, everyone's just come to me with their issues."

"Speaking of which…" Rachel remembered, as she took a final drag and stubbed the cigarette out against the ashtray. "Mrs. Lopez told me that she and the other residents have had a discussion. Apparently, the Lincoln Heights Neighborhood Council Governing Board elections are coming up."

"So what?" the punk asked nonchalantly.

"They think that you should run for the Board membership, and I agree," the blonde answered. "They say that you have good ideas on how the neighborhood should be developed, and you have a can do attitude. Mrs. Lopez told me that you actually might have a pretty decent chance to get elected."

"They want me to run for the Board?" Chloe asked incredulously. "Like for cereal? I mean I'm a fucking teenager! What the fuck do I know about governing a council?"

"You've made some solid points about what needs to be improved in the neighborhood," Rachel said. "Like how the neighborhood watch could be made more efficient."

"Well, that's because I know how hoodlums like me think," the former bluenette snorted. "If the board members bothered to think outside of the box for like two seconds, they'd figure it out themselves."

"Maybe that's why you should run for the position," her partner suggested. "To offer that new perspective."

Chloe lit up again and thought about the proposition, as she watched the embers glow at the tip of the cigarette. True, she had observed her district for a few months now, and she had a few ideas to address some things that she found at fault. But a board member? Did she really want to delve into the world of politics, since that's what the board membership basically would mean; provided that she actually got elected. Who in their right mind would even vote for her? She wasn't exactly the type that one expected to see sitting at board meetings.

Chloe would've been lying if she had claimed that the thought wasn't at least a little bit appealing. Considering her educational background, or the lack thereof, this was one of the few opportunities for her to make something of herself. For the last five years, life had been giving her nothing but shit, and it was finally starting to look like the tide was turning. A position at the Governing Board would probably open new opportunities along the way. Chloe took a drag of her cigarette and smiled. Half a year ago, she wouldn't have given another thought to something like this. _If Mom would see me now…_

"No," the punk said however, as she stubbed out her cigarette.

"No?" Rachel asked, looking at her partner dumbfounded. "Why not?"

"You know perfectly well why," Chloe said, sighing in frustration. "Until we've paid up Frank, we have to lay low. Being a member of a board isn't exactly low profile."

"Do you really think Frank's going to go through the web sites of every possible neighborhood council in California in case you might be a member there?" the blonde asked.

 _Probably not,_ the former bluenette admitted to herself. In reality, she feared that she wouldn't get elected; or worse yet, she would get elected and she would fuck it up somehow. In fact, it was inevitable, for what was her life, if not a series of fuck ups and disappointments. "Tell Mrs. Lopez I'm not running," she told Rachel.

"You can tell her yourself!" Rachel snapped in frustration and stormed back inside.

"Rach-," Chloe tried to reach out for the blonde but gave up, sighing in defeat. _Well handled, Price!_ She turned against the railing and lit up another cigarette.

-ooo-

 **From: Jim Thompson (LaVidaMagazine)**

 **To: Mark Jefferson**

 **Subject: Advert**

 **Mark,**

 **Good to hear from you. I heard you quit Blackwell. Does that mean you might be in the market for doing some shoots for us? Let me know.**

 **About that ad on pages 46-47. It was provided for us by an agency called ChrysalisMedia Inc. They are located in LA. Alex Woodward is their CEO and main photographer. You can tell him hi from me.**

 **Regards,**

 **Jim**

Mark Jefferson closed the email and smiled in contentedly. He knew of Alex Woodward and his work, even though he had never met him personally. Now that Mark thought of it, he should've recognized Woodward's futile attempt to mimic Corbijn's style.

Nevertheless, it was good news that the advert was done by a local agency. That would also mean Rachel was most probably somewhere in the Greater Los Angeles area. Mark took another sip from his Ardbeck and began writing another email.

 **To be continued...**

* * *

 **A/N: Welcome back! In this chapter, Victoria rises to the occasion, burning some bridges in the process, and building new ones too. This scene has been one that I've anticipated to get to write. I've always felt that deep inside, Victoria has a high sense of justice and she wants to do the right thing. She just needs a nudge to the right direction. That doesn't mean she can't be her lovable, sassy self. I love that Dontnod wanted to show that side of Victoria too in the game.  
**

 **Frank gets his background revealed somewhat in this chapter. It would feel logical that Sean would hold Frank at least partly responsible for Nathan's death, and would do his worst to make Frank's life as hard as possible, letting him squirm. Sean could've probably gotten away with offing Frank once and for all, but I felt Sean wouldn't let him off that easily.**

 **We make a quick visit to LA, and enlighten Chloe and Rachel's everyday life a bit more. I figured that in this kind of situation, Chloe would be the responsible one of the two, having to let go of her rebellious nature. And the reality of linving on their own would cause schism between them. At this point I'd like to give a shoutout to Lyta Halifax, to whose excellent story, Grande Dame, I'm making an indirect tribute in this scene. I also recommend you to check out her sequel to GD, Bearing Witness To Time that is ongoing. It is a wonderful continuation to the saga.**

 **I'm still not giving much limelight to Jeffo but that will probably change in the upcoming chapters.**

 **Thank you for your reviews! Those are always anticipated. Thanks to Crowthorne for ironing out my grammar in this chapter, and to Lyta for offering an opinion to one scene!**

 **This marks the end of the first arc in this story. The next chapter will start the second arc, and that needs a bit of planning. I hope to get the next chapter out within a month though. See you then!**


	6. Enigma

**October 12, 2013, 8:34 a.m.**

Max opened her eyes and looked around her groggily, trying to get adjusted to the light beaming through the half-closed shades. It took her a few moments to remember where she was. This was the first time she had ever been in Taylor Christensen's room. It was located at the other wing of the dormitory building on the girls' floor. The room layout followed the same pattern as the rooms in the wing where Max's room used to be. Taylor's room was furnished and decorated pretty much like a typical teenaged girl's room, with posters, pillows and makeups, among other things. Max could see that Taylor had tried to Mimic Victoria's style to some extent, which was no surprise, considering the dynamic the two had had in their friendship. _I wonder if that's going to change now with the new and improved Victoria?_

Max was still amazed by how fiercely the pixie-haired girl had defended her honor. It wasn't at all like Victoria to drop her controlled demeanor and act upon pure emotions. That kind of behavior was what Max would expect from Chloe rather than Victoria. _Why would she expose herself like that, unless…_ The realization shook the last bits of grogginess off of her. _Wowser!_ She rose to a sitting position and pulled her knees against her chest, wrapping her arms around them. _Victoria Chase has the hots for me!_ Max thought, before she shook her head. _No, not me, the other me!_

It did make sense in retrospect, though, as Max has read from her counterpart's diary that the girls had been inseparable during the last summer. Yet none of the entries had indicated that Victoria might have been romantically interested in Max, or that her counterpart in this time might have developed such feelings. The latter didn't surprise the hipster, though, as she herself had not begun to develop romantic feelings towards anyone, until Chloe had dared Max to kiss her.

 _So, what am I supposed to do with this knowledge?_ the brunette asked herself. She'd begun to appreciate the new Victoria but her heart belonged to someone else. Besides, she didn't know how her counterpart felt about the blonde. _Does she even exist anymore? Is she stuck somewhere in the corner of my mind, trying to get out?_ Max thought about her spontaneous response to Victoria's sass yesterday. _Ugh! This is too deep shit to think about this early in the morning!_ the freckled girl thought, pinching her eyes. _Brain, I want nicer thoughts!_

Max's request was granted as memories of yesterday's tea time with Kate and last night's slumber party filled her mind. Max and Victoria had had a nice and relaxing moment getting to know Kate over tea and biscuits. Max of course already knew most of what Kate had told about herself but that didn't prevent her from enjoying the bun-haired girl's company. Kate had extended her courtesy by taking Max from door to door and introducing her to the other girls on her floor. Victoria had opted out on the introductory round because she already knew most of the girls on the floor and because she felt that her past would make most of the reunions awkward at best.

The introductions had not been any less awkward for Max, as she too already knew all the girls from the floor, but she was forced to pretend that she was meeting them for the first time. Nevertheless, it had been good to talk to Alyssa and Dana again, and even Brooke had seemed to be less reserved towards the brunette. _Probably because Warren hasn't been fawning over me from the beginning of the semester._

Max had also taken the opportunity to peek into her 'old' dorm room. To her surprise, though, she had found the room to be vacant. Kate had told her that the room had been vacant since last spring, when the previous tenant, a girl named Tara Garcia, had moved out after her graduation. Kate had never met her personally as she had not arrived at Blackwell until the beginning of the semester. Pretty soon after, rumors had begun to circulate that the room was haunted. Apparently one of the girls had been wandering in the hallway in the middle of the night and seen a flash of light from the gap between the threshold and the door, like someone had been taking a photo inside. When she had opened the door to investigate there had been no one there.

When Max had stepped into the empty room she had felt a chill run down her spine. Only the worn furniture had reminded her of what used to be her favorite cocoon. The collage of Polaroid pictures that had occupied the wall beside the bed was but a memory, and only a faded plaster wall remained. When Max had slid her hand across the dusty desktop she had thought of the strange event that had occurred. Had it simply been a sporadic flash of lightning? Or could it have been something else…?

Kate had later joined them in Taylor's room to enjoy pizza, popcorn and other varieties of junk food while watching The Breakfast Club on Netflix. Max could actually see some resemblance between the characters of the movie and the people she knew from Arcadia Bay. Claire Standish was like Victoria with her posh appearance and feeling the constant pressure to keep up a front. Andrew Clark was like an amalgamation of one of the Blackwell jocks like Zach, and Nathan with a problematic father relationship. In John Bender she saw none other than Chloe with her rebellious nature and disrespect for authorities. Brian Johnson was much like Warren, although Max didn't really know if his parents were pressuring him to get top grades. Allison Reynolds in many ways reminded Max of herself with being an introverted outcast, although Max liked to think her eating habits were more civilized.

Max reached for her bag and dug out a bunch of Polaroids that she had taken last evening. A smile rose on the freckled girl's face as she shuffled through the photos, consisting mostly of group selfies taken on a whim. Among those there were a few shots that Max had taken with more thought and composition. One was of Kate sitting next to Taylor. Both looked concentrated on the movie, but there was a detail that Max had hoped to catch. It was the expression of joy on Kate's face. Her eyes were bright and shining rather than glazed and foggy as they had been before her suicide attempt in the previous timeline. _I'm so glad you didn't have to go through that hell, Kate._

Max continued shuffling through the photos, until she came across one that she had taken of Victoria. Max had meant it to be a ¾ portrait where the model looks away from the camera, but the blonde had caught the brunette's attempt and focused her eyes on the lens, accompanied with a subtle grin. There was something about that grin that had Max wondering whether Victoria was trying to imply something or not. The ever so subtle lifting of the eyebrow and the corner of the mouth could easily be interpreted as a good-natured smirk of victory, but Max couldn't help thinking that there was more to it than that.

"Stuck in the retro zone again, sad face?" The brunette flinched when she heard the sassy tone of the subject of her thoughts. The cheerful expression on Victoria's face revealed the playfulness of the sass, though.

"Quit yapping, digi ho!" Max shot back before her brain caught up. She gasped, covering her mouth aghast. _Did I just call Victoria a ho?_ Luckily, the blonde just grinned back. _So Victoria and my counterpart are on a playful mocking basis._ The hipster girl lowered her hand and smiled sheepishly. Deep inside, she was in shock. _What is happening to me? Is the other Max trying to reclaim her body, or are our minds merging together?_

"Seriously, Max," Victoria pulled the brunette away from her thoughts. "If you take such amazing pictures with that old Polaroid, think what you could achieve with a proper digital single-lens reflex camera – or at least an SLR if you absolutely insist sticking to analog."

"Yeah, a proper SLR would certainly give more options regarding the composition," Max admitted as she fiddled her Polaroid JobPro in her hands. "And Polaroid film isn't exactly cheap either. My dad keeps telling me that I could get a decent digital camera with the amount of money I spend on Polaroid film in a year. Still, I like the look and feel of an instant film picture, and the challenge that breaking the boundaries of the instant camera poses."

"Hmph, whatever rocks your boat, Caulfield," the pixie-haired girl said, rolling her eyes. "But I have more pressing matters." She brought the magazine that she was holding in her hand in front of her. "I found Rachel!"

"You found her!" the brunette exclaimed joyfully as she stared at the face of the hazel-eyed blonde on the magazine page.

"Taylor had the latest issue of La Vida lying around," Victoria explained, waving the magazine in her hand. "I bumped into the ad when I was paging it."

"But how is her face on a magazine ad going to help us locate her?"

"Cindy, the assistant at the Chase Space, happens to know the editor's assistant at La Vida," the blonde continued. "As you probably know, assistants run the world. I can call Cindy. She'll dig out that address in no time."

Max watched sanguinely as Victoria picked up the phone and began calling the assistant. She seemed to have no issues calling the employee of her parents on a Saturday morning. On the other hand, people usually knew what they signed up for when they became someone's personal assistant. _This is awesome! If Victoria can get Rachel's address, we'll be one step closer to finding her, and Chloe._

-ooo-

"Thank you, it was so kind of you to call me personally. Your help is greatly appreciated," Mark Jefferson said into the phone. "Yes, let's have lunch sometime. I'll call you. Bye!"

 _Idiot!_ Mark thought as he hung up. Instead of simply mailing him Rachel's address, Alex Woodward had called him and spent half an hour talking about photography with him. He couldn't care less for Woodward's upcoming exhibition. _Even some of my former students could take better pictures than that social climber._ _This'll teach me not to use my standard signature with full contact info._ Nevertheless, Mark had got what he wanted: Rachel Amber's address.

 _Lincoln Heights. Not exactly where I expected her to be,_ Jefferson thought, slightly surprised. Considering Rachel's outstanding performance at Blackwell, and her ambition to study law, he'd assumed that she would be living in Westwood, close to UCLA. On the other hand, of all of his female students at Blackwell, Rachel Amber was the one he couldn't get a grasp of, neither metaphorically nor literally. She was the one that Mark had not been able to capture in a moment of desperation, like he had done to many of her classmates.

Ending up in a menial teaching job at a small town school at the decline of your career might have seemed anything but appealing to a renowned photographer, but Mark had seen it as the perfect opportunity to pursue the thing that had begun to captivate him at the peak of his career. By then he was already focused on sexual themes, but at some point he had realized that even the most explicit scenes were eventually just an act. Whatever the models tried to express were merely mimicking, rather than reflecting their true emotions. Mark's desire to capture the true innocence and desperation had led him to do research on methods that were ethically condemnable, not to mention illegal.

Mark's goal was to get his subjects into a disoriented and incapacitated state while maintaining some degree of situational awareness, so that he could capture true emotions of despair. After some digging he'd found out that GHB, also known as the date-rape drug, was just what he was looking for. With correct administration, the subjects would be docile enough to be handled easily while being to a limited extent aware of what's happening. The best part was that upon recovery, the subject would have impaired ability to recall the memories of the events that occurred during the period of intoxication.

Acquiring drugs in a Seattle-sized city had been easy enough, and the Seattle nightlife had been full of potential subjects that could easily be abducted, but the logistics for the shooting had proven to be an issue. Using his own apartment or renting some space had obviously been out of the question. What Mark needed was an abandoned property at an isolated location, which in a densely populated area like Seattle meant traveling excessive amount of time. For a while he had been using an abandoned warehouse that was almost two hours' drive inland, but that had turned out to be cumbersome. Also there had been the constant chance of being pulled over. While the risk of an actual search being performed on his car might have been minimal, Mark hated leaving things to a chance. After a while he had deemed the gains not worth the risk and stopped using the warehouse.

Alexander Graham Bell once said: "When one door closes, another one opens." As much as Mark liked to use quotes he had never given much thought to this particular quote until the day when he'd been returning from the warehouse for the last time with the last of his equipment. His phone had rung in the middle of unpacking the car. The photographer was very strict about though whom he gave his personal number, therefore he had been surprised to see an unknown number on the display. He usually ignored such random calls, but this time he had chosen to take it. And with that, the other door had opened.

The mysterious caller had been Sean Prescott. The patriarch of the most influential family in Arcadia Bay was no stranger to Mark, as their paths had crossed in the past. It had been when Mark had graduated from Blackwell as the Valedictorian of his class. Sean Prescott had just begun to take over the family businesses and duties formerly ran by his father, including the seat on the Blackwell Board, to which he was entitled by the Prescott family being a major benefactor to the school. Therefore it had been no surprise that Sean had been one of the people to congratulate the graduate that would eventually become Blackwell's most renowned alumnus.

Still, Mark had not been expecting a direct call from Sean, much less the offer that the patriarch had made: a photography class teaching position at Blackwell, with free rein to design and implement the class. While the job offer itself had not felt very appealing it did open up new opportunities for him to pursue his obsession. A high school environment offered a multitude of potential subjects, and finding a remote location within a short distance proved a lot easier in a small town like Arcadia Bay than in Seattle. When Mark had called Sean back to accept the offer he had not realized that there would be a few additional perks to relocating.

When the newly appointed photography teacher had arrived at Blackwell, it had turned out that Sean Prescott had a son, Nathan, who had become estranged from his father. Nathan Prescott had been a disturbed and unstable individual, whose exploits the staff of Blackwell and the local law enforcement of Arcadia Bay had been willing to overlook because Sean Prescott was pumping so much money into both institutions. That premise, in addition to Nathan's access to the Prescott family wealth and his connections, was something Mark could use to his advantage.

Making contact with the troubled teenager had actually been quite easy. Initially, Nathan had been suspicious of Mark, but pretty soon he had begun to open up to the new teacher. Nathan had simply needed someone who would listen to him, someone to give him purpose and direction. The young man had been like wax that Mark could mold to his desire. Nathan had also shown a natural talent for photography. He had not been in Mark's class, but that had not mattered. The regular curriculum had not been what he had in store for his apprentice.

Mark had been almost surprised how easily he could manipulate Nathan to support his vision, so desperate had been the young man's desire for a father figure. Nathan had told that his family had an old barn under which there was an old bomb shelter that could be easily converted into a studio. The location had been perfect. It was isolated but still close to the town. Mark had been slightly doubtful whether Nathan would be able to get the money to equip the studio from his father, but to his surprise, Sean had asked the photography teacher to help his son in the task. Apparently Sean would not mind the expenses as long as his son had something to focus on. That had been the extent of Sean's interest in the matter.

The studio had been equipped, and the plan had been set in motion. Nathan had acquired the subjects and delivered them to Mark who was left with the photographing and keeping the subjects sedated. In a relatively short time, Mark had acquired quite a collection. There had been one subject, though, that had eluded his viewfinder so far. She was Rachel Amber.

Rachel wasn't like the other girls in her class. She seemed to carry this mystic aura about her. She was ambitious and generally liked, and she seemed to adapt easily to her surroundings, like a chameleon. That was what had raised Mark's interest in her. On the surface, the blonde had not appeared as an ideal subject for his personal project but he was curious of what would be revealed from beneath. He'd never got a chance to find that out, though.

At first, Rachel had not been on Mark's radar even though he was fascinated by her. He'd just found some of her classmates more ideal candidates for his project. When his curiosity finally had got the best of him and he was beginning to make preparations for a session, Rachel had come to him.

At first, it had been seemingly innocent; like tutoring and advice. Already then, Mark had noticed how mature and confident Rachel had acted for her age. Maybe it had been for that that he had found himself in the same bed with her one night. Even in that area, Rachel had exhibited remarkable maturity and confidence for her age, clearly showing that she by no means was a virgin. At this point, it had also became clear to Mark that Rachel had her own angle in their relationship, if one could even call sleeping together a relationship. Rachel had expressed her wish that Mark would've given her future modeling career a boost by making her a portfolio.

The unexpected suggestion had not really surprised Mark. He'd already come to the conclusion that Rachel Amber was an opportunist that was willing to do anything that would further her endeavors. On the other hand, it had been too good an opportunity to be left unused. While pretending to consider the girl's suggestion Mark had quickly devised a plan in his head. He would arrange a session at his home studio for the portfolio, offer Rachel a drink after the shoot to drug her and take her to the barn for another session. Afterwards, Rachel would regain consciousness in his bedroom and he'd simply explain that the night got a bit wild. Rachel would be none the wiser and both would get what they wanted. Satisfied with the plan, Mark had agreed to make the blonde a portfolio.

They had agreed on a date at the end of April and Mark had begun to make the necessary preparations. Then, just days after their agreement, Mark had got a message from the dark room security system into his phone. The dark room blast door had been equipped with a code lock to prevent trespassers from entering. The lock had been connected to a surveillance camera that would send the camera feed into Mark's phone if anyone tried to tamper the lock or input a wrong code. Mark had not been able to hide his surprise when he had seen David Madsen, the head of Blackwell security entering the dark room. From the security log, Mark had been able to see that Madsen was using Nathan's code, which the teacher, unbeknownst to his protégé, had also been set to alert Mark in case Nathan would enter the premises by himself.

Luckily, Mark had been prepared for such a possibility from the beginning. He'd planned an exit strategy in case the dark room was ever compromised. From the beginning of their joint venture with Nathan, Mark had made sure that nothing could be traced back to him. All the equipment was in Nathan's name, and the property of course belonged to the Prescotts. The surveillance camera wasn't recording, except for the short buffer, if someone tried to break into the premises. The captured video was sent to a burner phone that was untraceable, and the SIM card on the camera was pre-paid too. Mark had made sure to wear vinyl gloves all the time when he was in the premises; something that Nathan had neglected to do, and Mark had made sure not to point out to him.

Using the burner phone, Mark had immediately contacted Nathan and told that the bunker had been compromised. He'd asked his protégé to meet him at the rendezvous point, on a road that was in close proximity to the barn. Their plan was to circle back to the barn by foot to assess the situation; or at least, that was what he had told Nathan. In reality, he'd been waiting for the young man with a lethal dose of the drug that they had been using. When Nathan had arrived, they'd set out through the woods towards the barn. Mark had made sure to stay behind the teenager the whole time. When they had reached the barn, Mark had dug out the syringe and emptied it into his unsuspecting accomplice. Nathan had turned to face his mentor with an amazed expression before losing consciousness.

Mark had approached the barn carefully. There had been no vehicle outside the building, but Madsen could've left his car further down the road. Alas, it had turned out that the security officer had left the barn, probably to contact the officials. Since Sean had the ABPD firmly under his control, Mark had reasoned Madsen would go to the State Troopers office in Bay City. That had given the photographer a little more time to do what he needed. He'd swiftly carried Nathan's already lifeless body down into the bunker and placed him on the couch. He'd logged onto the laptop and taken backups of all the pictures on a flash drive. While waiting the copy to complete, he'd printed out a suicide letter that he'd had ready on the laptop for a situation like this. He'd quickly forged Nathan's signature on the printed letter and placed it on the table, next to a vial and an empty syringe which he had first stung the dead boy's arm with, using Nathan's hands to get his fingerprints on it.

Once satisfied, Mark had made sure there were no traces of him on the premises and left the barn. He had quickly run through the woods to their vehicles, taken Nathan's truck and driven that to the barn. After that, he'd taken another hike through the woods to his Bentley and driven home to be ready for the phone call that would come sooner or later.

About two hours later the phone had rung. Mark had expected it to be either Sean or Wells. It had turned out to be the former. True to his nature, the Prescott patriarch had informed him stoically of Nathan's demise. The teacher had pretended to be shocked about the news and expressed his deepest condolences. Nothing in the conversation had seemed to indicate that Sean was suspecting foul play.

On the following days, investigations and hearings had ensued. Mark had played the devastated mentor, who had been completely oblivious about what Nathan had been doing. He had told with watery eyes, how he had failed Nathan as a mentor and confidant. Mark had even gone so far as to say that he blamed himself for Nathan's death. No one had shared his opinion. Not even when he had handed in his resignation as the photography teacher and announced his intention to leave Arcadia Bay. Everyone had just been sad to see him leave.

Mark had done it. He'd gotten away with multiple abductions and a cold-blooded murder. Still, because of the abductions now out in the open, he'd thought it best not to return to Seattle. He'd relocated to Los Angeles and thought to lay low for a while, which he had until he'd seen Rachel's picture in the magazine.

Mark closed his laptop and poured himself some coffee. This was too good of an opportunity for him to pass up. Rachel would be Mark's encore. He was sure that behind all the blonde's faces there was an innocent girl that he wanted to capture. Of course he'd have to kill her after the shooting. It was unfortunate, but Mark couldn't afford to take any chances, now that Nathan was exposed. Rachel Amber would simply be another small town girl that went to LA to find her fortune and got lost into the big city's temptations.

-ooo-

"I got it!" Victoria exclaimed triumphantly as she ended the phone call.

"You got Rachel's address?" Max asked enthusiastically. "Where is she?"

"Lincoln Heights, Los Angeles," the blonde answered. "Cindy will text me the exact address in a moment."

A hopeful expression rose on the brunette's freckled face. Finally, they'd found a clue that would take them forward in their quest. _So they actually made it to California like they had planned,_ she thought joyfully. _I wonder how their relationship is now? Has Rachel told Chloe about Frank?_ In Max's own timeline, Chloe hadn't been aware of the relationship until they had found the photos of Rachel and Frank together inside Frank's RV. The punk had taken the revelation hard. The gleeful expression was washed away from Max's face when she thought about Rachel's break-up letter to Chloe that was inside the girls' hideout at the American Rust. _You'd better treat Chloe the way she deserves, or you're gonna answer to me, Rachel!_

Victoria's phone chimed as a sign of a newly arrived message. "Ok, here it is," she said, looking at the screen. "I'll forward it to you." The blonde made a few taps, and few moments later Max's phone buzzed.

"Thank you, Vic," the freckled girl said, taking her own phone out.

"What are friends for?" the pixie-haired girl said back. "So you gonna call her?"

"No," Max answered, looking at the address on her screen. "I think we should start packing. We have a long drive ahead of us."

"What?" Victoria huffed incredulously. "Are you seriously going to drive all the way to LA? You've gone out of your mind, Caulfield!"

"This really is something I have to do face to face," the hipster said determinedly. "I'll gladly buy you a return ticket on the Greyhound back home, if you don't want to come with me."

The blonde looked at Max sternly for a few moments before she sighed in defeat. "Fine! We'll do it your way!" she groaned. "One thing, though… What are you going to tell your parents?" Victoria asked, looking Max straight in the eyes. "Somehow I doubt they will not approve your plans to extend our trip to LA. You know they're expecting us back by tomorrow afternoon."

The brunette smiled at her traveling companion. "Actually, I had anticipated that our trip might be extended, so I thought of something just in case…"

-ooo-

"…that's right, Dad, it just seized all of a sudden, and a bunch of warning lights lit on the dash." Victoria watched Max explain on the phone.

"…I called the Triple-A like you've told me and they towed the Mini to a repair shop," the brunette continued. "They told me that they can take a look at it earliest on Monday, so we'll have to wait at least until then."

The blonde couldn't help but smile at Max's ability to come up with a perfectly plausible story to buy them a couple of extra days. The truth would come out eventually, and they, especially Max, would have to face the consequences. She began to wonder whether there was more to Max's relationship with Chloe than the brunette was letting her on, but she quickly brushed the thought away. _They haven't been in touch for five years!_

Whatever the reason, the unexpected extension of their trip opened up new possibilities for Victoria to pursue her own goals. They'd already agreed that they would drive the coastal highway south and stay overnight in Bodega Bay. Max had suggested getting an Airbnb, but Victoria had something else in mind. She opened up the TripAdvisor web page on her phone and began to look for four star hotels in Bodega Bay.

"…and leave my car here?" Victoria heard Max ask incredulously. Apparently her parents were suggesting the Greyhound option. "Look, with luck we can get the car fixed on Monday. We haven't got it very busy at the school yet, so we can wait until Monday what the repair guy has to say. If it's gonna take an excessive amount of time, we'll take the Greyhound, okay?"

Max stayed quiet for the moment, so Victoria assumed Vanessa and Ryan were having a negotiation at their end. In the meantime, she had found a nice room with a queen-sized bed at the Bodega Bay Lodge. With a few taps she made the reservation and confirmed it with her credit card. Luckily, her parents were quite relaxed about her credit card usage, as long as she didn't exceed her limit. _Perfect!_ Victoria thought to herself and let out a barely noticeable grin of mischief. _Max Caulfield, you have no idea what I have in store for you._

"…ok," Max said into the phone. "I'll call you first thing, once I get the repair estimate. …yes, I'll give Joyce and Chloe your regards when I see them. ...tell Mom I love her. …love you too, Dad. Talk to you on Monday!" She ended the call and sighed out of relief. "Jeez! For a moment I thought they'd make us to take the Greyhound tomorrow."

"So, we got till Monday?" Victoria asked.

"Yeah, I have to call them before the last Greyhound of the day leaves to Portland," the brunette explained.

"We should be in LA well before that," the blonde remarked.

"Tomorrow afternoon, if we leave early. We will have at least the night and afternoon to find Chloe and Rachel," Max thought out loud. "And I figured I'd probably get at least a day or two more, if I explain that it's an easy fix."

"You do realize that your folks will find out eventually?" Victoria remarked.

"Yes, I do realize that and I'll deal with it when the time comes," the hipster said. "I totally understand if you don't want to get into trouble over me."

"Just drive, Caulfield," the pixie-haired girl said nonchalantly.

Max did as told and turned the ignition.

-ooo-

Frank watched as the blue Mini Cooper drove past him. He'd been standing by the Blackwell exit road since dawn, waiting for the girls to leave. Frank pressed the starter button and felt how the 1200 cc Evolution engine of the Harley Davidson Sportster sputtered to life. He put it into first gear and rode after the car.

Using a motorcycle for tailing someone had certain advantages over a car. The tail had better visibility due to its higher sitting position, which in turn made it possible to keep a longer distance to the one being tailed. A motorcycle was also harder to spot due to its smaller size and its ability to easily hide behind other vehicles. The only disadvantage a motorcycle had against a car was its shorter range. Stopping to buy gasoline risked losing the mark, but since Frank knew the girls' general direction, he figured he'd be able to stay on them.

Frank rode down the hill and saw the Mini further down the road. Having the higher ground enabled him to keep his distance. Once the car turned onto the main road, he'd have to catch up. It had been a while since the last time he had rode a motorcycle. The draft felt brisk against his bandana-covered face. The feeling of freedom that riding a motorcycle offered certainly was appealing. Part of him wished he could just put his dog in a sidecar and ride into the sunset. _Hah! Maybe in another life._

Frank saw the little car arrive at the junction and turn south on the 101. He twisted the throttle to make it to the junction quicker. There, he made a hard left and reached the main road. Frank looked ahead and spotted the Mini a couple of hundred yards ahead of him. A couple of other cars were between them, which suited the drug dealer fine. _Okay, ladies! Take me to that deceitful cunt!_

-ooo-

Rachel stepped out of the convenience store with a pack of cigarettes. Taking a few steps away from the door, she removed the wrapping from the pack and discarded it. She took one cigarette and placed it between her lips before putting the pack into her bag and picking up a lighter. The blonde lit up the cigarette and took a deep drag as she put the lighter back. She let the smoke out of her lungs with a deep sigh and looked at the thin trail of smoke coming from the burning embers.

Rachel let out another sigh. After her graduation, she had actually tried to quit smoking because she realized it wasn't too good a habit considering her aspiration to be a model, not to mention her health. Pretty soon after settling in, the realities of adult life had hit her so hard that buying a pack with the groceries had happened quite easily. The fact that Chloe smoked almost constantly didn't help either. They had agreed to keep their apartment smoke-free; an agreement they'd kept until yesterday's incident.

The blonde took another drag of her cigarette and let her eyes scan the traffic aimlessly. She felt bad about the way Chloe had found out about her modeling gig. She realized the she should've told her partner about it from the get go, but she also knew that Chloe would've said no and Rachel would've had to do it behind her back anyway.

This wasn't the first time their relationship was in crisis. It had been like that when they had still lived in Arcadia Bay, and Rachel had been dealing with her own personal issues. Trying to be there for Chloe, who hadn't still recovered from the loss of her father, had felt just too overwhelming then. Rachel had walked out on her one day at the American rust with the intention of ending their friendship. She was well aware that the aspiring punk was wanting something more than just friendship, and that wasn't something Rachel was capable of offering at that moment. Eventually, they had ended up back together, and after many phases, they were now in California, trying to build a life together.

Rachel felt that their relationship was once again coming to a crossroads. It wasn't that they wanted different things in life, but how they wanted them. She felt Chloe was being all too paranoid about Frank. _Seriously, if Frank wanted to really find us, he'd have done so by now,_ the blonde thought, blowing the smoke out of her lungs. _Can't you see that the board membership would finally turn our lives around? I know you have the potential to do greater things than be a Jack of all trades at a construction site!_ She stubbed the cigarette and sniffed quietly. As much as she wanted to, she couldn't picture them celebrating their first Christmas together at their mutual home.

Rachel was so deep in her thoughts that she didn't notice someone walking up to her until they spoke: "Hello, Rachel."

The blonde lifted her gaze and couldn't hide her surprise when she saw Mark Jefferson standing in front of her.

 **To be continued...**

* * *

 **A/N: Welcone to chapter 6 of Saving Rachel Amber! I just looked when I last updated and it has been two months. Sorry to have kept you waiting for so long. I have to admit I clearly suffered from writer's block for a while and other things have kept me busy. The news of the upcoming LiS prequel put my creative juices flowing again. Imma share a few words about that in a bit.  
**

 **Anyhow, in this chapter we mostly take a peek what Jefferson has been up to. The game didn't offer much information about Jefferson and Sean Prescott's relationship, and how Jefferson expected to be able to pin the abductions and Chloe and Max's murder on Nathan. Therefore I decided to work on those two aspects, devising an exit strategy for him where all would be on Nathan and Mark would run home free.  
**

 **Max is definitely going a bit rogue now. Ok, technically she is an adult and entitled to do so, but as long as you're financially dependent on your parents, it comes with certain terms. As for Vicky… I guess you'll have to wait until next chapter to find out.  
**

 **Ok, a my two cents about the prequel, LiS: Before the Storm. When the first concept shots were leaked out, I was mostly skeptical about it being true, while secretly being excited about the prospect to revisit Arcadia Bay. The official announcement has caused quite a lot of controversy among the fandom, which is understandable. Still I have a bit hard time understanding how the opposers, based on a short gameplay video are vocally announcing that we don't need it, and how it will stain the original game. While there is a possibility that the prequel will not live up to its hype, I won't form an opinion of it before I've played the game. In the meantime, I'll just cherish the opportunity to revisit AB and learn more about Rachel and younger Chloe. I see a lot of comments how Rachel shouldn't be demystified. I, personally am glad of the opportunity to relate to Rachel as character.  
**

 **Ok, LiS has in many ways been life-changing to a lot of people, myself included. However the prequel may turn out, I don't see it taking away from how I experienced LiS and what kind of legacy it has left for me. I acknowledge people feel very passionate about LiS and I can at some level relate to their concerns. I just wish people would be willing to give the prequel a chance before forming their opinion. I've preordered the game on day one, I am excited about it and do hope it would turn out at least decent.  
**

 **Okay, back to normal schedule. Thank you again for your reviews! I've got a few ideas where to go with the story based on them. Please do keep them coming, as it is the writer's creative fuel. Also, huge thanks again for Crowthorne for beta reading for me! It's funny how blind you can yourself be to some obvious grammatical mistakes until someone points it to you. I'm not sure when the next chapter will be out. My holiday is starting in two weeks and I really don't see doing any writing then. I do hope to get the next chapter out before the first episode of the prequel will be out, though.**


	7. Lose Control

**October 12, 2013, 1:08 p.m.**

The climate control of the Mini did its best to keep the scorching heat of the afternoon sun away from the cabin. The car radio was tuned to a generic pop/rock channel, which seemed to be the closest thing to common ground when it came to music tastes between Max and Victoria. The hipster preferred indie rock bands like Syd Matters and Alt J, whereas the blonde went for strong female vocalists like Adele and Eliot Sumner. Nevertheless, the uplifting beats of 'Life is a Highway' by Rascal Flatts seemed to be quite fitting for the occasion.

The song brought back memories to Max from 7 years ago, when Chloe's father William had taken Chloe and her to see the first Cars movie to the drive-in. They both had fallen in love with Mater's lovable character. His dimwitted surface hid a remarkable amount of street-smarts and experience. They both had had an awesome time with William at the drive-in.

They never got to see the sequel together.

Max cast a wistful glance towards the ocean where the blue water glimmered in the sun. The picturesque view opening in front of her didn't wake up her inspiration this time, though. Instead, she began to wonder what she would say to Chloe, when she finally met her again. _"Eh, hey. Long time no see. I woke up the other day and decided to drive all the way down here to look you up, after five years of radio silence. Sorry about that, by the way. Oh, almost forgot, I think I'm falling in love with you."_ The brunette groaned silently. _Ugh! This is so gonna be so much harder than the first time!_

Max turned her head momentarily to the right to catch a glimpse of her traveling companion, who was concentrated on enjoying the view that opened through the car windows. _What am I supposed to think of Victoria's feelings towards me?_ Just a few days ago, the thought of Victoria Chase being romantically interested in her would've been simply absurd. The only single moment Max had caught a glimpse of something other than an arrogant bitch had been after she had dropped a bucket of paint on top of the Queen Bee of Blackwell. That had been hardly enough to change the brunette's opinion of her, much less to think that their relationship might evolve into anything beyond cordial.

Now, however, Max couldn't deny that she was at least a bit intrigued by the girl sitting next to her. Sure, Victoria still had a snobbish demeanor about her and her tongue was still razor sharp, but all that seemed now to be driven by empathy and kind-heartedness. _I wonder if I ever could've got through to her in my own time. This kind of Victoria would've been cool to hang out with. Maybe even…_

"Are you feeling okay, Max?" Victoria asked, making the brunette wince. "You're blushing all of a sudden."

"What? Huh?" the hipster blurted, embarrassed. "Eh, It's nothing, I…" she tried to stammer, but the blonde just grinned.

"It's okay, Max," Victoria chuckled reassuringly. "I have wet daydreams when I drive too. Just remember to pay attention to the road once in a while."

"Uh, the road… Yes, pay attention…" Max continued stammering, much to her companion's amusement, until she finally managed to restore her composure. "Ahem, how much longer till we're in Bodega Bay?"

Victoria unlocked her phone and opened the map application. "We should be crossing the state line in a couple of hours," she said, having looked at the map. "It's roughly 5-6 hours from there, so we should be in Bodega Bay around nine-ish."

"It's gonna be a hella long drive for one day," Max said.

"Hey, it wasn't my idea to go on this road trip," the blonde remarked. "Don't worry, we'll drive in shifts so it shouldn't be too bad of an ordeal."

"I feel kinda bad having to leave Arcadia Bay in such a rush," the brunette contemplated. "We barely had time to say goodbye to Kate and the others. Maybe we should have just tried to make it to Eureka today."

"Yeah, would've been fun to spend more time with them," the pixie-haired girl admitted. "On the other hand, it's better that we cover as much distance as possible today, so that we'll have some leeway tomorrow, when we arrive in LA. Trust me, we really don't want to be searching that address after nightfall."

"Yeah, that makes sense," Max said. Her words were accompanied by the growling of her stomach. "Looks like skipping breakfast is beginning to backfire on us," she chuckled.

"Let's make a quick stop somewhere and get something to eat," Victoria said, tapping her phone again. "There's a place about ten miles ahead. Should be right up your alley, as it is a diner," she remarked with a smirk.

That was rewarded with the freckled girl flipping the bird at the blonde.

-ooo-

"Took you long enough," Rachel heard Chloe say with a snarky tone as she stepped inside the apartment. Chloe had not joined her in the bed after she had left her on the balcony, and they had hardly exchanged more than two words in the morning before Rachel had gone out to buy cigarettes.

"Needed time for myself," Rachel simply said. "Also went to have a latte." That wasn't exactly a lie. She'd actually had one at the local Starbucks. She just didn't tell that she'd had a latte with her former teacher and lover, Mark Jefferson. The hazel-eyed girl had a hunch that the last thing Chloe wanted to hear right now was that she'd met someone she knew from Arcadia Bay, not to mention a person that she'd shared a bed with.

The former bluenette didn't say anything, she simply stared at the blonde sternly, flicking an unlit cigarette between her fingers. Rachel wasn't able to tell whether Chloe bought her explanation or not.

"So, are you gonna pout at me the whole day, or what?" Rachel asked, crossing her arms. "I already said I'm sorry for snapping at you yesterday evening, although I still think you should consider running for that position."

The punk sighed, letting her pout mellow down to a more plaintive one. "You don't have to be, babe," she said apologetically. "I'm the one who should be apologizing. I do realize it would be an awesome opportunity for someone like me, and I would be lying if I told I wasn't at the least bit tempted."

"So why don't you?" Rachel asked. "I know we can work something out with Frank, if he shows up."

"I… I'm afraid," Chloe admitted. "I fear that I'll just screw things up like I always do. Ever since my dad died and Max left, my life has been a series of fuck-ups. Anything good just cannot come my way."

"What do you call us, then?" Rachel asked, letting her emotions get the better of her upon hearing her partner's words. "Another fuck-up?" This wasn't the first time Chloe had brought up Max in this context, and Rachel couldn't help feeling at least a bit jealous of the legendary brunette. She was beginning to feel agitated again.

"Rach, you know I didn't mean it like that!" the punk said, raising her voice unintentionally.

"Maybe you should finally call your coveted Max and see how much better your life might turn out," the hazel-eyed girl said sardonically. She turned to leave, but she was stopped by a hand placed on her shoulder.

"Are we seriously getting into this again?" Chloe huffed, herself now agitated. "For the zillionth time, Max and I are history! We were fucking kids, for pete's sake! How can you possibly think she means anything to me?"

"Oh yeah?" Rachel blurted back. "Why do I always feel I'm being measured up against her, when you bring her up?"

"Rachel… Ray…" Chloe said, doing her best to sound calm and conciliatory. "You don't have to feel that way, babe. Max and I… We were good friends but that's all. You are my partner, you're the one I love." She opened her arms to take the other girl into her embrace.

Rachel stood still, hesitating, trying to silence her conscience that was scolding her. She really had no right to be guilt-tripping Chloe over Max. The punk had stayed intensely loyal to her, even when she herself had been having an affair - affairs - on the side. Rachel loved and cared for Chloe, but ultimately, they wanted different things in life, and she couldn't see herself the future she wanted if she stayed with Chloe. Nevertheless, she allowed herself to half-smile and walked into the punk's embrace.

"I'm sorry, Chlo. I shouldn't be opening up old wounds again," the blonde said, wrapping her arms around the other girl and kissing her.

"I'm sorry, too, babe," Chloe answered between kisses. "I'll look Mrs. Lopez up, and tell her that I'm honored but regretfully have to decline."

"So you've made up your mind?"

"Yeah," the former bluenette said wistfully. "It would be an awesome chance, but I really want to get my life in some kind of order before pursuing anything more ambitious." She looked at her partner questioningly. "Are you… disappointed?"

"Whatever you decide to do, I'll support you," Rachel answered, and held her partner tighter.

While standing there, Rachel thought about her encounter with Mark Jefferson. She had at first acted reservedly towards her former teacher and lover, mostly because she was still hurt about the way Mark had ended up their relationship when he had resigned and left Arcadia Bay. It had been a simple, formal text message on the day it was announced that he had resigned. Rachel had gone to his apartment, only to find it empty. Her calls and messages had been left unanswered.

Rachel's reservation had melted, however, when Mark had expressed his deepest apology for ending their relationship so abruptly, and offered to buy her coffee as a peace offering. The teacher had not lost his laid-back charm, and Rachel had soon found herself enraptured, listening to his recap of what he had been doing since his departure. Mark had told her how delighted he was to see her on the magazine, not neglecting to mention how the picture didn't do her justice. Having said that, he'd suggested they do the portfolio photo shoot session that they had planned before events in Arcadia Bay.

At first, Rachel had been excited about the unexpected proposal, but then she'd begun to wonder what Chloe would think about the whole idea, and whether Mark wanted something in return. She'd brought her concerns up, explaining that she was in a steady relationship, and that they were keeping a low profile for personal reasons, meaning that her partner might not approve the idea of a photo shoot.

Mark had assured the blonde that he respected her relationship, and wanted nothing in return. She could consider it as him making amends for leaving her. As for the other thing, her partner really didn't need to know, did she? Rachel could hold on to the pictures and bring them up at her convenience. Rachel had been convinced and they'd arranged a meeting on Monday morning to plan things out.

"We good?" Chloe asked, shaking the blonde out of her thoughts, as she let Rachel go from their embrace.

"Yeah, we're good," Rachel answered, quieting down the voice of her conscience. She would come up with a plausible explanation for the portfolio when the time was right. Besides, based on where their relationship was heading, it was more likely that she might never have to explain it to her partner.

"Wanna do Netflix and chill?" the punk asked with an impish grin.

"How about we skip the Netflix?" the hazel-eyed girl suggested back, placing a kiss on her partner's lips.

"I can get down with that," Chloe answered and let Rachel lead her into the bedroom.

-ooo-

The twilight was fading when the girls crossed the Bodega Bay town limits. The small town, famous for being the shooting location of Hitchcock's Birds, was already falling into slumber, with the last rays of sunlight drawing a golden silhouette to the houses and buildings.

After their late lunch break, they had been driving almost non-stop to get to their destination before nightfall. Victoria and Max had been taking roughly two-hour turns in driving, making the changes quick. Only once they'd taken a coffee, bathroom and smoke break. Victoria was again sitting on the passenger's seat, tapping the map application for directions to the Bodega Bay Lodge.

"Take a right at the next intersection," the pixie-haired girl instructed. The freckled girl behind the wheel did as told, and turned left on a smaller street.

"Is it far?" Max asked as they drove along the curvy road next to the highway.

"No, it should be right… there!" Victoria pointed on the right side of the road at a two-story, bark brown building made out of bricks. The night lighting gave the Bodega Bay Lodge a serene appearance, making it quite inviting.

"We're gonna stay there?" Max asked bemusedly. "I thought we'd get an Airbnb from somewhere."

"Yeah, well, I thought we'd deserve some luxury after a long day's drive," the blonde said, nodding approvingly at the premises.

"But how can we afford this?" the brunette objected. "The rooms here must cost at least a couple of hundred dollars."

"Don't worry about that," Victoria said reassured. "I have some funds to splurge on my credit card. Figured this was as good opportunity as any to use it."

"Thank you, Vic, although I think this is all too much," Max said enthralled, as she parked at the entrance.

"Nonsense." The blonde brushed her hand. "We're totally worth it- why thank you! You're all too kind," she turned to say to the valet who had come to open the passenger door. She let the valet help her out of the car and waited while the man did the same for her traveling companion. _Yes, this looks really nice,_ Victoria thought as she cast a glance at the lobby. _I just hope Cindy was able to arrange the things I asked._ As an answer to her thoughts, her phone chimed, and she picked it up to check the arrived message. _Perfect!_ She grinned in satisfaction as she read the message.

Victoria watched as Max opened the trunk for the valet, so that he could take their luggage. She smiled at the brunette when she joined her. "Let's get ourselves registered."

-ooo-

Frank let the Harley roll slowly past the hotel entrance. He saw how the valet drove the blue Mini into the parking lot. He let out a contented grunt and rode a bit further onto a bus stop. He turned off the ignition, put the motorcycle on the stand and stretched his aching muscles.

"Ahh, for fuck's sake!" Frank growled in pain, when he straightened his back. He'd been on the bike the whole day, save for stopping to refuel and take a whizz. To be honest, he shouldn't have been riding a motorcycle at all due to a slight displacement of one vertebra in his spine. The displacement caused pressure on the spinal cord, which in turn caused a slashing pain in his lower back, especially after a strain like this.

He'd thought he'd lost the girls a couple of times when, after stopping for a refuel, he had not caught up with them within a reasonable amount of time. He'd begun to wonder if they had taken a turn somewhere, but he hadn't dared turn back in case they were still heading south as he suspected. When he eventually had caught sight of them, he'd sighed in relief.

Frank dug out a cigarette and lit up, taking a long drag. _The things a man must do for his money,_ he thought as he sat on the bike saddle. While smoking, he contemplated the girls' possible destination. Based on today's route, it began to look pretty obvious that it was on the coast, most likely San Francisco or Los Angeles. Well, tomorrow he'd be wiser.

Frank took one more drag from the cigarette before throwing the butt on the ground, leaving it burning. He got back on the saddle and turned on the engine. He'd seen a diner by the main road just before the intersection. He'd eaten hardly anything during the day, so his stomach was growling. He knew that the girls wouldn't go anywhere before the morning, so he had plenty of time to eat and rest, maybe have a few beers too. With that he twisted the throttle and rode away.

-ooo-

Max stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel from the rack. She unfolded the towel and wrapped it around her wet body. The smooth fabric felt just heavenly against her skin. The brunette closed her eyes as she wiped her body dry and let her imagination run.

The hands that slid the smooth fabric along the contours of the brunette's body were no longer hers, but Victoria's. With slow, tender strokes the hands dried every possible inch of the freckled skin, loosening quiet moans of pleasure from the girl being dried. Max felt the fabric move up along her thigh, slowly creeping on the inside, and towards her crotch, when it suddenly lifted and shifted on the other leg. Max moaned again, but this time in frustration. The fabric began working its way up again, making the hipster girl bite her lip in anticipation, as it slowly moved along her inner thigh, this time not stopping. Her body twitched from the craving sensation as the towel clad fingers crept closer and closer…

"Are you done anytime soon?" Victoria's voice shouted from behind the door, snapping Max out of her thoughts and making her blush upon realizing what she was doing.

"Uh, I'll be out in a second!" Max blurted, hoping that the embarrassment in her voice wasn't as imminent as it sounded into her own ear.

Max proceeded to complete her drying, still feeling ashamed and also bewildered about her raunchy daydream. This was hardly the first time she had fantasized and explored herself, but not once she'd even considered having the pixie-haired blonde in them. Granted, Victoria had made a vast improvement in her eyes lately, but enough to make it into her daydreams? Or was this her daydream at all? Were the other Max's daydreams seeping their way into her mind. In a way, the thought of Victoria's hands on her body was kind of tempting…

"Quit touching yourself, Caulfield and let me in!" The subject of Max's thoughts demanded from behind the door. "I can't stand this damp feeling on my skin one minute longer!"

If the brunette had been blushing before, now her cheeks and earlobes were burning. _That was just a sassy throw, wasn't it?_ Max thought as she hung the wet towel on the rack, and quickly pulled on a clean t-shirt and boxers. She cast a quick glance at her reflection on the mirror, sighing at crimson red cheeks and ears, before unlocking the bathroom door and letting the piqued blonde in.

"Finally!" Victoria huffed as she stepped in with her toiletries and change of clothes. "Can't get out of these clothes soon enough." She stopped and waved her hand to clear the warm, damp air around her. "Do you mind if I leave the bathroom door open?" she rather stated than inquired.

"Uh, not at all," the freckled girl stammered, as she stepped out of the bathroom. She ran her fingers through her moist hair as she walked to the TV and took the remote. She preferred to let her hair dry naturally rather than blow-dry it, which pretty much explained the disheveled look she sported. She walked to the bed and stacked the pillows so that they formed a backrest. She pulled the blanket away and sat on the mattress, turning the TV on while seating herself comfortably.

While Max was sitting there, she couldn't help noticing that she could see the bathroom mirror, and Victoria's reflection in it, as the blonde was removing her clothes. At first she thought about saying something, then about turning her gaze away, but eventually she found herself staring mesmerized at the pixie-haired girl as she pulled her shirt off, revealing a slender back, and a lavender colored, laced bra. _That bra must be worth a dozen of my bras,_ the brunette thought.

Not appearing to be aware of her traveling-companion's ogling, the blonde continued her undressing, opening the buttons of her mini skirt and letting it fall down on the floor. She slid her fingers inside the waist band of her leggings, and bent forward to take them off, exposing a G-string thong, matching the garment and color of her bra. She took her time sliding the leggings down, giving Max plenty of time to admire the round and firm, tanned buttocks.

A reality show was running on the TV, but the hipster was completely oblivious to it as she watched Victoria kicking the leggings away from her feet and bending her hands behind her back to unclasp her bra. As she took hold of the shoulder straps, she turned slightly so that Max could see her silhouette when she pulled the bra off, exposing a profile that sloped evenly down from the collar bone, steepening roundly before the conical shape of the areola, topped by the perky nipple. From the areola, the profile made a steeper curve towards the chest, forming a perfectly shaped breast.

Max didn't have time to gape the bosom for long, as Victoria turned her back against the mirror and proceeded to remove her final piece of clothing. She swiped her fingers slowly under the waistband of the thong, and with a few considered swings of her waist she let the laced garment fall on the floor, revealing the fact that the blonde had no tan lines.

As a finishing touch, the pixie-haired girl turned to examine her reflection on the mirror, showing the firm breasts and the carefully trimmed bush, matching the color of her hair. Max could feel the heat beginning to build up deep inside her, at the sight of the divine figure in the mirror. Max sat there, staring at the reflection, holding her breath, when Victoria suddenly lifted her glance and, for the briefest of moments, their eyes met. The brunette gasped, turning her gaze away hastily, but not before she saw the other girl smirking at her.

 _Aww, fuck!_ Max thought, embarrassed and guilty. Victoria had caught her peeping. _She'll never let me hear the end of it._ She lifted her eyes slowly again, but the blonde was no longer visible in the mirror. _Shit, shit shit!_ the hipster kept reprimanding herself. She was normally extremely shy about nudity, so she couldn't understand why she had practically been locked on Victoria for the duration of her undressing. _What is happening to me?_ she asked herself frantically. _First the wet daydream, and now this! Am I gradually losing myself to the other Max?_

 _Ok, Caulfield, calm down! Just stay focused! Apologize to Victoria, go to sleep and it'll be just a memory,_ Max tried to pep talk herself. _Rewind powers, now would be a good time to return, please._ She tried to turn her attention to the TV, but she wasn't able to focus on the program as she was in an emotional turmoil. As she went through the event in her head, she began to doubt her own feelings. Max was pretty certain that initially, it had been the other Max that had made her keep watching Victoria to undress, but she wasn't as sure about the sensations that the sight had awakened. She couldn't say that she didn't find it arousing.

Max, hearing that the shower had stopped running, harnessed all her willpower to keep her eyes on the TV while the blonde dried herself and got dressed. _She has no tan lines…_ The images of the naked body of her traveling companion kept creeping into her mind. _She sunbathes naked… Ugh! Focus!_

Victoria stepped out of the bathroom. Max turned to look at her with a bashful expression on her face. She opened her mouth to apologize but she froze when she saw the blonde's nightdress. Victoria was wearing a peach colored sheer teddy, which left hardly any room for imagination. Max could easily make out the perky breasts through the lucid fabric, and the panties didn't fare any better covering the narrow patch of pubic hair crowning the other girl's mound. Victoria wasn't wearing any makeup but that didn't steal away the slightest bit from the natural beauty she sported. She leaned against the doorframe, with a teasing smile on her face.

"I… uh, I'm sorry…" Max stammered.

"Shh, it's all right, Max," Victoria said with a soothing tone. She walked to a wine cooler which held a bottle of champagne on ice. She popped the bottle open and poured some of the sparkling beverage into two glasses that were next to the cooler. Apparently Victoria had managed, with the help of her parents' assistant, to arrange the bottle in their room, regardless of the fact that neither of them were of the required age.

The blonde walked to the bed and gave the other glass to Max. "To our quest," she proposed.

"To our quest." Max raised her glass and they toasted. She took a sip of the cool, sparkling drink. The taste was sweeter than the other sparkling wines she had tasted in her life. _This champagne must cost a good deal,_ she thought and emptied her glass.

Victoria emptied her glass too. She took both glasses, placed them on the nightstand and turned to face the brunette. "I need to tell you something."

 _Something? Does she mean…?_

"When you came to the classroom that day, I could have never imagined that I'd feel this way about someone, like you make me feel," the blonde began her confession. "Looking back to that day I realize I've felt this way about you ever since." She took the brunette's hands into her own. "Maxine Caulfield, you are the most amazing and kindest person I've ever met. You've showed me that I can be a better person, and helped me to trust in my own talent." Victoria leaned in closer. "I… I think I love you."

Max had hardly any time to react to the confession before Victoria pressed her lips gently against the brunette's. Her eyes flew wide open in amazement at the warm, smooth, velvety feeling on her mouth. _She's kissing me! Victoria's kissing me!_

The blonde withdrew herself from the hipster girl with a worried expression on her face. Just as Victoria was going to open her mouth to say something, it happened.

Max was fully aware of how her hands rose hastily to cup the other girl's cheeks and drew her closer for another kiss. She had no control, however, when her lips smashed against Victoria's. Max could feel how the blonde's lips separated invitingly, and how her own tongue responded to the invitation by entering Victoria's mouth and finding its counterpart that began to twirl around it. The brunette felt how her own lips separated more, inviting Victoria's tongue inside. The tongues began their dance while the two pairs of lips fumbled hungrily against each other.

In the meantime, the brunette came to realize that her hands had wrapped around the blonde's body, feeling her shoulder blades through the thin fabric. _I'm making out with Victoria, and I can't stop!_ She felt Victoria's hands on her back, slowly working their way around her sides, the thumbs reaching the arcs of her breasts. Max's own reaction took her completely by surprise, as she found herself arching her back so that the other girl had more room to cup her mounds. She felt her nipples hardening as Victoria's fingers caressed them through the cotton of her shirt.

Max felt like she was a passenger in her own body when she lifted her arms upwards to help the other girl to ease off her shirt. She felt herself blushing, as she was sitting there with her modest sized breasts exposed. Her body made no resistance, though, when the blonde nudged her gently onto her back. There she lay, watching as she lifted her hips, and Victoria slipped her fingers under the waistband, pulling her boxers away, leaving her completely bare, under the blonde's gaze.

Max couldn't believe how her body was betraying her. The only explanation she could think of was that the Max of this timeline was somehow to be able to take control on a more primal level, completely overriding the commands from Max's conscious mind. That fact offered little comfort as Victoria climbed on top of her and straddled her between her legs. The blonde leaned forward to kiss her again, and Max could again feel herself responding to the kiss lustfully.

Her loss of control wasn't the only way Max's body was betraying her. As her tongue was dancing around Victoria's, she could feel the arousal beginning to build up inside her again. Her body and her mind were beginning to ache for sexual relief, and she could no longer tell for certain if it was her or the other Max that desired the relief.

As if in an answer to her aching desire, their lips parted and Victoria began slowly kissing her way down. As much as Max wanted to resist, her mind had already begun to succumb to the carnal desire that was building up with each kiss and nibble that the blonde made on her way to the brunette's cleavage. Max's body began to tremble in anticipation and excitement, when Victoria exposed her tongue between the hipster's breasts and began to draw a trail of saliva towards her left nipple. Max let out a lustful moan as the tip of the tongue reached tip of the burgundy-colored bud. The moan changed to pleasure-filled growl when the blonde, after twirling her tongue around a few times, took the nipple into her mouth and began to suck on the tender bud.

While Victoria was twirling and sucking on Max's left nipple, the brunette felt the blonde slide her hand over the right one and squeeze it with her fingers, making Max twitch and yelp from the momentary pain. She opened her eyes upon noticing that Victoria had stopped and saw the blonde looking at her concernedly. "P- please, don't stop," she heard herself say. _Whaat?_ The other girl did as told. She moved her mouth over the stinging nipple and pecked it gently, before continuing the sucking. _Oooh, yesss!_

Whatever higher level inhibitions Max might have had, they all went down the drain as the trail of saliva made its way downwards to her mound that was already burning like hell. She peeked momentarily to see the blonde's lips grazing her chestnut brown bush. _I knew I should've trimmed that. – Whaaat?_ Max's thoughts scrambled into something incomprehensible when she felt Victoria slipping her tongue between the folds, first going slowly all the way down, and then up, uncovering her clit. Max growled in pleasure, as the tongue touched the tender spot. Victoria stopped for a moment and Max opened her eyes in bemusement to see the pixie-haired girl grinning mischievously at her. _What is she doing?_

"Say it, Caulfield," the blonde demanded with a meaningful gaze. "I want to hear you say it."

Max knew exactly what the other girl wanted to hear. This was her chance to put an end to all of this. She could end this right here and now. She could walk away with her integrity more or less intact.

"Fuck me, Victoria," Max said, realizing that she herself had consciously spoken those words.

The pixie-haired girl grinned contentedly, and did as she was told. Max felt how a finger slid between her moist folds, searching for the entrance. She bit her lower lip in ecstasy, when not one, but two fingers entered her crevice and began a steady, stroking motion, accompanied by the twirling of Victoria's tongue around her bud. The brunette was no longer capable of producing any comprehensible thoughts, as arousal consumed her mind.

Max felt the heat inside of her building up as the fingers slid in and out in an accelerated motion. She was approaching the brink fast and inevitably. She moaned in synch with the strokes as they picked up pace. "Victo- oh- oh- ooooh!" she shouted her lover's name when the first waves of orgasms ran through her body. Her body arched up, as Victoria kept her riding on the wave, not providing any relief, until she finally collapsed on the bed, fully consumed.

For a while, Max just lied there, panting, all sweaty and smelling of sex. She wasn't aware of Victoria crawling next to her until the blonde leaned over her face and kissed her gently, before laying herself next to the brunette. Only then Max realized that the other girl was still wearing her lingerie. She noticed also that there was a smeared patch on the crotch piece of the sheer panties. It was evident that Victoria was in need of something that only Max was able to provide. Without giving it a further thought, the brunette straddled the blonde between her legs and slid her fingers under the sheer garment.

-ooo-

The night found two naked young women lying next to each other. One was sleeping somberly, with her arm wrapped around the other. The second was awake and sobbing quietly. Every now and then, between the sobs, she quietly whispered: "I'm sorry, Chloe."

 **To be continued...**

* * *

 **Welcome back! First of all, I've made the final edit of this chapter on a mobile phone instead of a computer. So if you happen to notice any weird typos, please PM me.**

 **The main topic is naturally Vicky's seduction of Max. Now, while I had planned to write the scene from the get go, the outcome of has been changing as I've written it. I initially planned Max simply to turn Vicky down, but since I already had established that Auto-Max had momentarily taken control, I thought why not complicate things a bit (yes, I also wanted to write a love scene). I then thought that Auto-Max had been in control of the whole process while Prime-Max was aware of the whole thing, until I thought that Prime-Max being the one to do the final choice would be a nice nod towards the game. "This action will have consequences...", y'know. So, while Auto-Max is the facilitator, Prime-Max is ultimately in charge, and will eventually pay the Price. This scene is a spiritual sibling to the one in my other story, Executive Rewind, where Max turned Courtney down in a similar situation.**

 **Thank you again for all the reviews! Please keep them coming! I love to hear your thoughts about this chapter.**

 **I won't be continuing the story until August, due to my vacation. I'm also in a process of writing another story, which will probably take turns with this. I hope to keep the updates regular, regardless.**

 **Thanks for reading, and see you next time!**


	8. Awakenings and Premonitions

**October 13, 2013, 9:14 a.m.**

She opens the door to the girls' restroom. The room appears vacant except for a young man of her age, wearing a Blackwell college jacket. He's leaning against one of the sinks and rambling nervously to himself. The young man, Nathan Prescott, is the reason she's here. He becomes aware of her presence and casts an aggravated glance towards her.

"So what do you want?" Nathan asks, tension apparent in his voice.

"I hope you checked the perimeter, as my step-ass would say," she says sternly as she pushes the doors of the first few stalls open to make sure that they are actually alone. "Now, let's talk bidness."

"I got nothing for you," the young man retorts.

"Wrong. You got hella cash," she shoots back.

"That's my family, not me," he says nonchalantly.

"Oh boo hoo, poor little rich kid," she mocks. "I know you been pumpin' drugs n' shit to kids around here…" She walks closer and looks him in the eye. "I bet your respectable family would help me out if I went to them. Man, I can see the headlines now."

"Leave them out of this, bitch." The irritation in his voice tells her she's struck a nerve, so she decides to push on.

"I can tell everyone Nathan Prescott is a punk ass who begs like a little girl and talks to himself!" The very moment the words escape her mouth she comes to realize she has crossed the line, as Nathan pulls a gun from his pocket and points it at her.

"You don't know who the fuck I am or who you're messing around with!" Nathan shouts angrily at her, keeping the barrel pointed at her. Whatever bravado she had when she stepped into the restroom has now been replaced by fear. Her survival instincts kick in and she takes a step back.

"Where'd you get that?" She asks frantically. "What are you doing? Come on, put that thing down!" she pleas. The disturbed young man doesn't listen, though, as he closes the distance between them and grabs the lapel of her leather jacket with his free hand while placing the barrel of his gun against her cheek. She freezes against the restroom door as she feels the cold metal of the weapon against her skin.

"Don't EVER tell me what to do. I'm so SICK of people trying to control me!"

She really is afraid for her life now as she looks into the young man's eyes. The anger in him wells up from something that's been accumulating for years. She just happened to be the unfortunate soul who opened the floodgates.

"You are going to get in hella more trouble for this than drugs." Her voice is trembling as she tries to reason with Nathan. She realizes that her life's hanging in the balance and one wrong word or move might be her last. The Prescott heir doesn't back down, but comes closer. She can feel his breath on her skin.

"Nobody would ever miss your "punk ass", would they?" Nathan asks, sneering ferociously.

Suddenly, something at the back of the room catches her eye. A petite brunette, wearing a pink shirt and a grey hoodie has stepped out from behind the stalls and is staring at her wistfully. She can't help recoiling when she recognizes the girl. "M-max?"

The moment she breathes out her friend's name Nathan's gun goes off.

-ooo-

Rachel had already been partially awake when Chloe had started to moan and shift restlessly. It hadn't been until the former bluenette had cried in agony and fell on the floor that the blonde had snapped fully awake however. Rachel rose to a sitting position and leaned over to Chloe's side to see if she was all right. The punk was rolling desperately on the floor, trying to get free of her blanket. A few frantic tugs later she was free of the blanket's grasp and she hastily dragged herself to a half-sitting position against the wall, panting heavily with petrified gaze in her eyes.

"Chloe, what happened?" Rachel asked drowsily. The other girl showed no sign of reacting, she just felt her stomach frantically as she was panting. "Chloe!" Rachel shouted, managing to finally get Chloe's attention. "Are you all right?"

"I-, ah…" Chloe gasped between breaths, "had the worst nightmare. It felt so fucking real," she was finally able to say as her breathing became steady.

"Oh, poor thing!" the blonde said, opening her arms. "C'mere." The punk took up the offer and climbed back on the bed to be wrapped into her partner's embrace. "You want to talk about it?" Rachel asked once Chloe was resting comfortably against her chest.

"I was in the Blackwell girls' room with that creep, Nathan Prescott," the former bluenette said after a moment's hesitation. "We had a quarrel over money. I-, I think I was trying to blackmail Nathan. I must've been really desperate to try to pull off stupid shit like that," she chuckled bemusedly. "Anyway, Nathan totally lost it and pulled a gun on me. I tried to calm him down but that didn't help. He-," she stopped to feel her abdomen, "he shot me."

"Shh, there now, babe," Rachel said, fondling Chloe's hair. "It was just a dream. Nathan is dead. He can't do anything to hurt you."

"Yeah, it just felt like I had actually been there," Chloe said, her voice still trembling. "I was so fucking scared."

"Well, it's over now. You're safe and sound in our bedroom," the hazel-eyed girl said reassuringly. She stroked the strawberry blonde locks quietly for a moment, before she asked: "Was there anyone else besides you and Nathan?"

"No… Why?" the punk answered after a moment of hesitation.

Rachel stopped stroking for the briefest of moments. "No particular reason. Just asking," she said nonchalantly. She placed a kiss on Chloe's hair and continued stroking. While she let the blonde hair slide through her fingers, she thought about the name her partner had mumbled in her sleep before her abrupt wake-up, 'Max.'

-ooo-

Victoria was behind the wheel of the Mini. She had a hard time concentrating on the traffic ahead, as she was constantly stealing glances at the passenger seat where the freckled brunette was doing her best to keep her eyes locked on the scenery opening from the passenger side window. The awkwardness inside the cabin at the moment was almost tangible. Max had been aloof and queasy the whole morning. When Victoria had asked if everything was okay, the hipster had quickly told her everything was fine and spaced out again.

 _Did I go too far last night?_ the blonde asked herself when she cast another glance at her traveling companion, her… lover? _Was it too much too soon?_ The last thing Victoria wanted was to drive Max off by being too hasty in their relationship. Still, she couldn't help feeling confused by the brunette's behavior. Last night had been simply wonderful, just the way she had imagined it, and Max had seemed to enjoy it at least as much as she did.

Granted, Victoria had never before felt as nervous as she had when she had put up her little show for Max. She'd almost chickened out when Max had taken her time in the bathroom. The anticipation had made her so anxious that her old, rude demeanor had surfaced. She had shooed the brunette out of the bathroom quite bluntly, only to scold herself immediately when she'd been alone in the bathroom.

Victoria had become even more anxious and self-conscious when she had begun to undress, making sure that Max would see her through the mirror. Despite her young age, Victoria wasn't a virgin, so being naked in front of someone wasn't unfamiliar to her. This had been the first time, though, when she'd had her feelings at stake. What if Max looked bashfully the other way, or worse yet, she'd come to close the door? Victoria had not known how she could have handled the embarrassment.

Piece by piece, Victoria had removed her clothing, taking her time with each piece and making sure to maintain a good posture. She had not dared to look up at the mirror to check whether the hipster girl was watching or not. All she'd known that she couldn't back down. She would have to go all the way, regardless of the outcome. She'd never felt this self-conscious of her body as she had felt at that moment. Normally, she took great pride in her meticulously trimmed body, but at that moment, she'd kept finding imperfections in whatever part of her body she'd laid her eyes upon.

Having removed her last piece of clothing, Victoria had finally had the courage to take a sneak peek at the mirror. She had let out a triumphant smile when she had found the brunette staring at her with almost a mesmerized look on her face, and turning her gaze swiftly away and blushing upon realizing she had been caught peeping. As soon as Victoria had got out of sight she'd let out a sigh of relief. Max had taken the bait.

Victoria had washed herself quickly, resisting the throbbing sensation that was beginning to build up inside her. After drying up and applying the perfume Max had told her she liked, Victoria had put on the teddy and the matching panties she had bought specifically for this occasion. The material of the fabric had been so lucid that she might as well have been standing there naked. Gathering up all her courage, she'd taken the few steps to the doorway, and leaned against the frame, trying to look as confident as possible. She'd almost let her poker face fall when she'd seen the brunette looking at her bashfully, her cheeks a radiant crimson, and stammering an apology.

Victoria had walked slowly to the wine cooler and poured some champagne into two glasses, hoping that she wouldn't spill any on the table. The two glasses in her hands, she had made her way to the bed where Max was lying and given the other glass to the brunette. Victoria still wondered where she had found the courage to express her feelings to the hipster girl. She couldn't remember exactly what she had said to Max. All that she could remember was how awkward she had felt as she had spluttered the words out hastily. Fearing that the situation would fall into an awkward silence, Victoria had immediately pressed her lips against the brunette's. The blonde instinctively licked her lips as she savored the memory of the kiss.

Realizing that Max wasn't responding to the kiss, Victoria had withdrawn, scolding herself for being too hasty. She had opened her mouth to blurt out an apology, when the brunette's surprised expression had changed into a smile and she had moved in closer for another kiss, this time a longer one.

To be honest, Victoria wasn't sure who had enjoyed the ensuing moment of passion more, her or Max. She couldn't deny that it had been extremely rewarding to be able to bring such pleasure to the person she cared for more than anything in the world, not to mention to hear the brunette cry her name at the peak of her climax. Only then had it hit Victoria that she'd gotten the privilege of claiming Max's virginity. They had confided about their sexual experiences to each other some time ago, so Victoria had known that Max hadn't dated anyone. Feeling a mixture of pride and shock over her achievement, the blonde had crawled next to her lover and placed a gentle kiss on the exhausted girl's lips before lying next to her.

Even though her nether regions were burning, Victoria had not really expected for Max to return the favor. Victoria had intended this to be a completely selfless expression of love with no strings attached. She'd figured she would take care of her own needs discretely, when the hipster was asleep. Therefore, she had been pleasantly surprised, when Max had climbed over her and began removing her lingerie.

Victoria had felt a shiver run through her when Max had pulled the teddy off, and she had not been able to tell whether it was the breeze or the fact that she was now lying there completely exposed beneath the other girl's gaze. She had not had much time to contemplate it, as Max had shyly placed her hands on top of her breasts. Another jolt had run through her spine as she'd felt the palms touching her erect nipples. Slowly, the freckled hands had begun to slide downwards, fingers brushing the buds along the way. The brunette's hands kept crawling downwards until they reached the waistband of her thong. Victoria had rubbed her thighs together in anticipation as Max's fingertips had slowly slipped under the elastic band.

Almost instinctively, Victoria had lifted her waist to help the other girl to ease the thong off of her. Once the final piece of clothing had been out of the way, Max had held her hand over the neatly trimmed bush, hesitating momentarily, before she had rested her hand to feel the fluffy texture. The feeling of the soft fingertips gently brushing her mound had made Victoria moan in anticipation. The brunette had needed no more persuasion, as two of her fingers had slithered along the contours of the pixie-haired girl's soft, moist crevice, and soon thereafter, a third finger had reached its final destination. Victoria had gasped, biting her lower lip, when Max's thumb had begun to do its magic on the tender spot.

Despite her inexperience, or maybe because of it, Max had touched Victoria in a way that no one else had before. On previous occasions when she'd had sex, even despite the intimacy of the situation, she'd still kept up her carefully built front. Now, she had been able to lower her guard completely and surrender to whatever her partner was offering. The other girl's inexperience had shown in her ability to control her tempo and prolong the pleasure, therefore Victoria had been nearing the brink fast, not that she'd really minded as she had been desperately yearning for relief for the arousal that had been building up since she'd got into the bathroom. Whatever expectations Victoria might have had of the course of events, her resulting orgasm had surpassed them with flying colors. Not once had she come with such an intensity as she had last night. Her body still trembled ever so slightly at the thought of her climax.

After sharing a quick shower they had cuddled together until Victoria had fallen asleep. In the morning she had woken up feeling happy and serene. She'd hoped to get a quick renewal of last night, but Max had acted all bashful and silent. Knowing how Max was in general, Victoria had let it be, but when the silence and awkwardness had continued on the breakfast, she'd become concerned. The situation had not improved when they had set out from the hotel. The brunette had kept to herself, commenting only to inquiries regarding the practicalities. All Victoria's inquiries about Max's well-being had been acknowledged with a simple "I'm fine."

 _I'm hardly an expert but I do know a morning after remorse when I see one_ , the blonde thought as she cast yet another glance at the girl next to her. _Did I come on too hard and she felt compelled to play along?_ Victoria kept questioning herself. _But she never has let me push her around, even if I've tried to. That's probably one reason why I fell for her in the first place._ But if she wasn't the reason for the hipster feeling regretful, then what was? _…or who?_

-ooo-

Frank kept tailing the blue Mini that was staying about a quarter mile ahead of him. He'd gotten a room from a shabby motel few miles down the road from the girls' hotel and slept a few hours before checking out again and returning to wait for the girls to leave. He was still a bit groggy from the short sleep and from having to wake up way earlier than he was used to. The bitter coffee from the vending machine at the motel reception had not really helped his fatigue, but it certainly had made his stomach twist. He just hoped that the girls would make a pit stop soon, so that he could make a quick visit to the john.

 _I wonder if Rachel's gonna be with Chloe, when I find her?_ Frank thought as he overtook a station wagon that was driving between him and the Mini. _And if she is, what will I do then?_ Frank found it very likely that he'd find Rachel with the punk girl. _Wonder if she's told Chloe about us?_ He still couldn't understand what a beautiful young girl like Rachel saw in a loser like him, but he had not asked. The hazel-eyed girl had made him feel happier than he had during his whole life. He'd had a good thing going and somehow, he had managed to fuck it up. Not a surprise, really, as he had a track record when it came to fucking things up.

 _Aww, fuck! Who am I kidding? If Rach's there, she won't let me have my way with that punk, and I can't say no to her, can I?_ Frank slumped his shoulders and twisted the throttle.

-ooo-

 _I should say something!_ Max thought in frustration as she pretended to be focused on the scenery. After a restless and guilt-ridden night, she had not known how to deal with the situation, so she'd done her best to avoid the subject and keep the discussions to a minimum. That had not worked very well, as Victoria had become even more concerned about her. _But what would I say to her?_ Max peeked the girl behind the wheel from the corner of her eye. _"Last night was awesome but I'm kinda spoken for." Yeah, I can see that working perfectly!_ Max snorted at her own thought. Especially because she was no longer sure of her own feelings.

Besides crying and feeling remorseful, Max had spent the night thinking about her feelings towards Chloe and Victoria. She knew that she cared for Chloe. They'd certainly had a moment in the pool, and the morning after. She remembered how her heart had broken when she had set the morphine drip to full and watched her friend slowly drift away in the alternate timeline. She remembered also how delighted and relieved she had been when she had finally returned back to her timeline and seen the bluenette alive and well. Finally she remembered how she'd shared her friend's pain when they had discovered Rachel's body. She cared for Chloe, but did she actually love her?

 _I've no doubt I'd eventually fall for her,_ Max thought. _But does Chloe feel the same way about me? Maybe. She thinks I haven't noticed how she looks at me, and the way she dared me to kiss her._ The brunette smiled, when she thought about the moment. _She thought I wouldn't have the balls._ That was the Chloe of Max's own timeline, though. _Rachel is still alive in this timeline, and most probably living with Chloe. Who am I to mess up that relationship? Absolutely no-one._

Then there was Victoria. The blonde was hopelessly in love with Max. If last night had not proved that, then what would? And, judging by how Max had been 'steered' last night, it was pretty obvious that her counterpart returned Victoria's affection. _Not surprised, really,_ the brunette thought, _The Victoria in this timeline is so different from the one I've come to know. She can still be as sassy as ever, but this time she is also caring and compassionate, and she isn't afraid to let it show. I, or the other me have clearly been a good influence on Victoria, and she to my counterpart._

The brunette let out a contemplative sigh against the car window, making the glass surface foggy with her breath. She really had no reason to feel remorseful about last night, as it had been truly wonderful. In the end, she had not been unfaithful to Chloe, as there was no her and Chloe, just Max's fledgling feelings for a Chloe that didn't exist in this reality. _Besides, I chose to make love to Victoria, not the Max of this reality, even though she might have pushed me into right direction. I know wouldn't have made that choice, if I hadn't had feelings for Victoria._ Max let out another sigh. This didn't make things any less complex, but she realized she couldn't make any decisions before she'd seen Chloe. _If nothing else, Chloe and I need some kind of closure._

Max turned to face the pixie-haired girl who seemed deeply immersed in the task of driving. _Time to break the silence, Caulfield…._ "Uh, hey, Vic…"

"So, she can talk after all," the blonde responded with her trademark sass, before she cringed. "Sorry, that was rude," she continued apologetically, "What's on your mind?"

"About last night… I-"

"I'm sorry, Max," Victoria interrupted her. "I shouldn't have put so much pressure on you-"

"No, no, it's all right," Max cut the blonde in turn. "I think last night was wonderful. A little unexpected, I admit, but nothing that I wouldn't have wanted, happened." She paused for a moment to contemplate her next words. "It's just… that I have some personal matters that I need to work out, before I can really commit myself into a serious relationship. I hope you can understand that, because… I think you're pretty amazing too." The last remark redeemed a smile out of the pixie-haired girl.

"I… take that this road trip of ours has something to do with your personal matters, then?"

"Something like that, yeah," the brunette admitted. "That's one of the reasons why I may have appeared a bit 'off' in the last few days."

"Pfft, not a day goes by that I don't discover something new about you, Max Caulfield," the blonde brushed the matter off. "That's what makes you so interesting."

"What do you say we make a quick stop somewhere and grab a bite to eat?" Max asked.

"Grab a bite?" the blonde asked to confirm, with a Krakozhian accent and lowering her voice significantly.

"Yes, you dork!" the hipster snickered.

"Sounds like a plan."

-ooo-

The golden hour. Chloe had always enjoyed the moment when the setting sun paints all the landscape and buildings with an amber golden hue. It was one of the few things she still missed about Arcadia Bay. She couldn't count the times when she had sat on the bench by the lighthouse and watched the sun turn the ocean into a pool of liquid gold. In LA, it was different, as Lincoln Heights wasn't near the shore. Here the trees on the nearby hills looked like they were on fire. The sight reminded Chloe of the time when Rachel and her had inadvertently started a forest fire at the Arcadia Bay recreational park. She still couldn't believe they had gotten away with it. Arson wasn't taken lightly, and they both would've probably faced time at the juvie.

Chloe sighed wistfully as she leaned against the balcony railing and watched the hills bathing in the sunlight. The golden hour reminded her about another thing too. Max. On most of the occasions Chloe had been sitting on the lighthouse bench, she had been thinking of the shy, geeky brunette. The thought of the hipster girl brought Chloe back to her nightmare this morning. It had been so vivid, more like a memory rather than a dream. _But that's ridiculous! I've never been at odds with Nathan in the Blackhell girls' room._

Chloe dug out a cigarette from the pack and lit it. It was her second since she came to the balcony. _I really should quit_ , she thought as she watched the blazing head of the stick before taking another drag. Living together with a force of nature like Rachel Amber didn't exactly make it easy to kick whatever bad habits one might have adopted.

 _What if the dream was a premonition of sorts?_ Chloe asked herself, before snorting at the absurdness of the thought. Nathan Prescott was dead, and all hell would have to break loose before she would return to Arcadia Bay, and Blackwell.

 _Maybe it was a 'gentle' reminder that I really should pull my head out of my ass and reach out to Max before it's too late..._ The punk dug out her phone with her free hand. She placed the cigarette between her lips and took the phone into her palms, opening up the messaging app and choosing the conversation with Max. The last messages dated back to 2010. After Max had left, they'd tried to maintain communications but that had died down eventually. Their fallout after the brunette announcing her move to Seattle had left their relationship in a state that would've required more than just a few awkward one-liners thrown in messages to keep the line of communication open.

Chloe stared at the blinking cursor on the text field. She couldn't help a sneer, thinking how many times she'd done this before. On some occasions she'd written a wall of text about how sorry she was, and how she missed Max, before deleting the message. On other occasions she had not come up with anything and had given up on the idea. _Okay, let's do this! Don't have to be anything fancy, just a simple inquiry of how she is doing. Then the ball would be in her court. Like: 'Hi, Max! How's it going?' Yeah, that'll work. It'll be hella lame, but it'll get the job done, right?_

Chloe typed in the message and hovered her thumb above the send button. _Okay, thumb, you just need to move down an inch, and it's done. Simple, right? Right…_ The former bluenette took the cigarette from her lips and sighed out a cloud of smoke. _Oh, who the fuck am I kidding? Besides, Rachel would probably throw a fit if she finds out I've been texting with Max,_ she thought as she deleted the message. _Ok, that last excuse was totally bogus,_ Chloe admitted to herself. Even though Rachel could get jealous over Max from time to time she acknowledged and respected the fact that Chloe and Max used to be friends – and nothing more.

 _But speaking of Rachel… She should be home by now._ Chloe was beginning to get worried. _Wonder if she's missed her bus?_ She picked up her phone and opened the Metro web page. Unlike Chloe, Rachel felt extremely uncomfortable about driving in LA, so she used the public transportation when Chloe wasn't driving her. _She said she was gonna go shopping for clothes, so she's probably gone to Wasteland._ The thrift store on Melrose was their regular go to place when it came to clothing. Chloe opened the timetable for the line coming from West Hollywood. The next bus would arrive in ten minutes. _I'd better go and walk to the bus stop to meet her._ The punk stubbed her cigarette and went inside to get her jacket.

-ooo-

Rachel was indeed getting out of the bus at a bus stop, but not the one Chloe was expecting her to arrive at. The line she was arriving on was coming from Downtown instead of West Hollywood, and the stop was slightly further from their apartment. She had indeed gone shopping for clothes, but not from Wasteland. While Rachel felt at home in flannel shirts and ripped jeans, the photo shoot with Mark called for something different, something more elegant.

Rachel had spent most of the afternoon and a good portion of her recent paycheck at the Downtown shops and malls. She'd bought a few blouses, skirts, leggings and, of course, a selection of lingerie. While she had no further intentions regarding Mark, she certainly was going to tease the hell out of him. _And I'm pretty sure Chloe wouldn't mind either,_ Rachel smiled at the thought as she began walking down the street. She dug out her phone to check the time. _Aw, fuck! Is it that late already? Chloe must be worried sick!_ She picked up her pace.

 _I wonder what Mark has in mind for the portfolio?_ Rachel thought as she made her way through the people on the sidewalk. _His more recent work has been a bit on the kinkier side._ Rachel didn't mind posing in racy pictures. Heck, she would even pose nude if the pictures would be sensual, but bondage wasn't really her cup of tea. _Well, I'm sure he understands the nature of the portfolio. He could probably help me do an introduction video to go along with my portfolio._ Her spirit got up when she thought about the upcoming shoot.

 _I really should've kept better track of the time,_ Rachel scolded herself as she trotted hastily along the sidewalk. The twilight was slowly beginning to fall, and the shops along the road were beginning to light up their signs. The dull grey asphalt of the sidewalk began to bathe in different shades from neon and other sources of light. The lighting gave the neighborhood a completely different kind of ambiance during the nights, a testament to the fact that the city never really quieted down. The late hour didn't worry Rachel too much, as the streets were still quite densely populated, and Lincoln Heights didn't enjoy a reputation of being a particularly rough neighborhood. Still, she wished that she'd followed Chloe's advice and taken a cab back home. After having spent so much on shopping, though, she had decided that she'd at least save the taxi fare and take the bus. _Well, another five minutes and I am home._

Rachel was approaching a bigger intersection which she needed to cross. She quickened her pace to run when she saw that the pedestrian traffic light ahead turned to 'Walk' to let the people across. Rachel was still roughly thirty feet from the crossing, and it would take several minutes to wait for the next opportunity to cross if she missed this one. The 'Walk' signal was already blinking when she reached the crossing. _Aw, hell!_ she cursed as she leaped out into the street just as the signal turned to 'Don't walk'.

The other pedestrians had already cleared the crossing by the time Rachel was running across the first lane of the four lane street. She saw the few cars waiting in the opposing lane beginning to move. Once the cars were out of the way, she'd have a clear path. She picked up her pace even further when she reached the opposing lanes. _Just a few more yards and I'm home free,_ she thought when she heard a car revving and blasting its horn.

Rachel had only time to register the headlights from the corner of her eye before the car hit her.

-ooo-

The first thing that she registers is the sound of sirens everywhere and the people crying through the crackling. She smells the smoke and opens up her eyes. The sky is burning red with the clouds reflecting the numerous fires that are scattered all over the desolate view that opens before her eyes. An enormous rift has split the city in half and turned the surrounding buildings into rubble. She can see molten lava oozing from the depths, making the ground at the bottom churn restlessly.

She stands up, only to stumble onto the ground again, before she realizes that she's on a steep hill, surrounded by torn bushes and more rubble. There's something oddly familiar about this view but she's not able to put her finger on it. She realizes that she has to get to higher ground, so she starts walking, trying to maintain her balance on the steep hill. The ground beneath her feet is loose and slippery, but she manages to move forward.

As she progresses through the bushes and rubble, she hears a creaking sound from above her. She looks up and sees an enormous 'W' falling on her…

-ooo-

"Whoa!" Max yelped as she yanked her head backwards, smashing it against the headrest of the car seat. "Ouch!" she winced from the pain caused by the impact and rubbed the back of her head.

"What happened, Max? Are you alright?" Victoria asked with a concerned look on her face.

The brunette blinked her eyes a few times to get oriented. She looked out the window to see the buildings around them intact and the traffic flowing as usual. _I'm in the car. It was another freak vision,_ she thought with the apocalyptic view still flashing vividly in her mind.

"Max, what happened?" Victoria asked again. "You spaced out all of a sudden and then banged your head against the headrest."

"It was just a bad dream," Max lied, trying to smile reassuringly. "I must've dozed off after all this driving. Sorry, didn't mean to alarm you."

"You sure? Some nightmare, making you twitch like that," the blonde said doubtfully.

"Yeah, I'm fine," the hipster assured, not really being able to convince even herself. _That vision felt so real. Just like the one I had about the tornado. It was different this time, though. I was on some hill, and that giant letter was falling on me, and all those fires everywhere, and that enormous rift._ Max looked again out the window as Victoria parked on the side of the street. _Does it mean that something's going to happen to LA? Something… big?_

"If you say so," Victoria said, still not fully convinced. "Anyhow, we're here. Welcome to LA, Max!"

"This is where Rachel and Chloe live?" Max asked, looking around her.

"Well, at least Rachel," the blonde remarked, "And the apartment is around the corner. I thought we'd walk the rest of the way and stretch our legs."

"Sounds like a good idea," Max commented and opened the door. She stepped out on the sidewalk and waited for Victoria to come out from her side and join her.

"Shall we?" Victoria asked, pointing to the direction they were supposed to go.

"Sure, let's go," Max answered and they started walking. Max looked up to the darkening sky. "I hope Rachel won't mind having surprise guests at this hour."

"Oh, I think she'll get over it," Victoria said nonchalantly, looking around her. "You ever been to LA before?"

"No, this is my first time in California. You?"

"I've been here a couple of times, mostly shopping," the blonde said. "Speaking of which, we can't go home without going shopping on Rodeo. After coming all the way down here, we might as well make the most of it."

"Sure, whatever you say," Max chuckled. They walked a few steps further when something popped up in her mind. "Vic, may I ask you something?"

"Shoot."

"I know why you and Rachel aren't on good terms but why Chloe? Guilty by association?"

"I actually _tried_ to befriend her," Victoria explained. "I had just arrived at Blackwell and trying to find my place in there. Had not made many friends yet. Chloe had already a bit of a reputation as a troublemaker, but I knew she was good at science. Anyway, I was struggling with this chemistry assignment, and asked her if she could help me. I was actually surprised that she offered to help me, but in reality she was telling me to fuck off. Literally."

"Literally?" Max asked curiously.

"Literally," the blonde said bitterly. "She told me the answer to the last problem was: Fluorine, Uranium, Carbon, Potassium and Uranium."

"Fluorine…" the brunette mumbled to herself, before her eyes widened. "Fuck u?"

"Fuck u." Victoria repeated.

"Well, that does sound a very Chloe thing to do," Max chuckled.

"I guess I had it coming," the pixie-haired girl contemplated. "I kept calling her Kari for some reason, maybe because she reminded me of that female co-host in Mythbusters."

"What, you watch Mythbusters?" Max asked incredulously.

"Is it so hard to believe?" Victoria asked, feigning being offended. "Well, I suppose it is. But I do have a nerdy side to me. It's just something that I don't disclose to every possible person I meet."

"Ms. Chase, you are turning out to be ever more of an interesting person," Max said impishly.

"Why, Ms. Caulfield, I do still have a few tricks up my sleeve," Victoria answered as impishly.

The girls had reached the gate leading to the apartment complex Rachel was supposed to live in. "This is it?" Max asked Victoria, who nodded in response. She peeked into the parking lot, but was disappointed to find that Chloe's banged up Ford pick-up wasn't among the parked cars.

"Hey I think I see Rachel over there," Victoria said, pointing at the blonde girl who had just stepped onto the pedestrian crossing on the opposite corner of the intersection.

"Cool! Let's walk to meet her," the brunette said and started walking towards the intersection. A few seconds later, she heard a car blasting its horn, just before it hit the running girl. "NO!" Max exclaimed frantically and raised her arm.

Everything around Max blurred as the time slowed down to a halt.

 **To be continued...**

* * *

 **A/N: Hi and welcome back! It's been over two months since the previous chapter. I've been dealing with life and writer's block, which seems to occur to me after every summer. Luckily, I seem to be getting past that and I'm hoping to return to more regular schedule.**

 **This is the 'morning after' chapter for both Max and Vicky. We recap the previous night's events from Vicky's point of view and Max contemplates her feelings over the pixied blonde. Chloe has a nightmare that seems oddly familiar and Max gets another apocalyptic premonition.**

 **This chapter marks the end of the second arc of this story, and it ends in quite a cliffhanger. The next chapter starts the third and final arc of the story.**

 **Thank you again for all the reviews! Please keep them coming! I really like to hear your thoughts about the chapter. A huge thanks also to my awesome beta reader, Crowthorne! Without his critical eye, the chapters wouldn't be what they are.**

 **Until next time!**


	9. Reunion

**October 13, 2013, 7:48 p.m.**

"NO!"

This wasn't the first time that Max had experienced the flow of time slowing down to a halt, then beginning to rewind faster and faster. Still, it didn't make her any more prepared for it when she saw the speeding car hit Rachel and she lifted her hand instinctively. Everything around her blurred into an incomprehensible mixture of quickened motion and sound in reverse.

Usually, when Max had used her powers, she'd stayed stationary while the world rewound around her. This time, however, she was caught up and pulled away from the scene, just like the first time, when she had witnessed Chloe being shot by Nathan in the Blackwell restroom and just seconds later she'd found herself in Mr. Jefferson's classroom.

Max gasped and her body jerked against the car seat as the flow of time returned to normal. "Whoa!"

"What happened, Max? Are you alright?" Victoria asked with a concerned look on her face.

The brunette didn't answer, she just stared at her hands dumbfounded. _My powers, they are working again! I… I saw Rachel being hit by that car and…_ She looked around her. _We're back in the Mini, but that means Rachel's still alive!_

"Max, you look like you just saw a ghost." Victoria pulled the hipster out of her thoughts.

"I… I'm fine," Max said hastily. "It was just a bad dream."

"If you say so," Victoria said doubtfully. "Anyway, we're here. Welcome to LA, Max!"

"Uh, thank you," the brunette blurted. _We need to hurry! If we make it to the junction in time, we can still save Rachel!"_ She unbuckled her belt and opened the door.

"You seem to be in a hurry," the blonde remarked as Max barged out of the car.

"I… uh, I need to…" Max mumbled, glancing at her feet.

"Oh, I see. I think there was a Starbucks at the junction back where we came from." Victoria pointed at the same junction where they had seen Rachel. "You go ahead. I'll lock up and follow."

"Thanks, Vic!" Max closed the car door and headed towards the junction. _I have to make it to the other side of the street before Rachel arrives at the crossing,_ she thought as she took half-running steps among the people on the sidewalk. _First Chloe, and now Rachel._ Max couldn't help but wonder at the similarity of the circumstances under which she had first encountered the two girls for the first time. _Is destiny trying to not-so-subtly hint to me that I should just mind my own business?_

The lights had just turned green for the pedestrians to cross the street when Max reached the junction. She cut the last few yards by stepping off the sidewalk to catch the people already walking on the crossing. _Great, Rachel hasn't arrived at the crossing yet! I made it in time!_

-ooo-

Rachel broke into a run when she saw that the pedestrian traffic light ahead had turned to 'Walk'. Rachel was still roughly thirty feet from the crossing, and it would take several minutes to wait for the next opportunity to cross if she missed this one. The 'Walk' signal was already blinking when she reached the crossing. She was just about to step out onto the street when a young, chestnut-haired girl about her height stepped in front of her. Rachel cursed in her thoughts and took a step to the side, when the girl suddenly addressed her.

"Rachel Amber?" the girl asked shyly.

"Yes?" Rachel answered curiously and stopped, letting out a frustrated huff when she saw that the light had turned red.

"My name is Max Caulfield," the mousy-looking brunette said. "I've come to see you."

"You're Max Caulfield?" the hazel-eyed girl asked, amazement at the realization flashing briefly across her face before changing to a nonchalant, slightly curious look. "You're Chloe's friend?" she continued more reservedly, measuring up the girl with her eyes.

"Chloe has told you about me?" Max asked back.

"Yes, she has told me about you," Rachel answered, trying to keep her cool, while her mind was racing. _What is she doing here? How did she manage to find us? What does she want?_ "Well, you have found me, Max Caulfield," she remarked suggestively, "but something tells me that you haven't come all the way down here for just little old me. I believe your objective lies elsewhere."

"You're right," the freckled girl said embarrassedly. "I've come to look for Chloe."

"Well, look no further," Rachel responded. "Chloe and I are living together," she said, sounding maybe a little more stressed than she actually meant to.

"Oh, good!" the other girl exclaimed in relief, seeming not to have noticed the change in the blonde's tone. "I was hoping that she'd be with you."

"May I ask why you've come looking for Chloe after all these years?" Rachel asked tentatively. "You two haven't exactly kept in touch since… well, y'know." _Since you walked out on her,_ she completed in her mind.

"Yes, I know," Max answered, her cheeks turning slightly crimson. "That's why I'm here. I've come to bury the hatchet."

Rachel didn't respond straight away but kept her eyes on the freckled girl. One trait she seemed to have inherited from her father, James, was her ability to read people; to tell whether they were lying or not. She kept constantly wondering whether it was a gift or a curse, but she couldn't deny that it had been handy on a few occasions. Now the girl in front of her was either an incredibly good actor or she was being sincere. Judging from how she was almost squirming in front of her, Rachel was inclined to believe the latter.

"Very well," the blonde said, mellowing her demeanor and letting out a smile. "How did you manage to find us? We haven't exactly been open about our whereabouts."

"We found your picture in a magazine ad," the brunette explained. "We were able to get your contact information through the publisher."

"Ugh, that blasted ad!" Rachel frowned. "How did you manage to get the information from the publisher-" She stopped when she realized. "What do you mean 'we'?" she had time to ask when another girl appeared at Max's side. "Victoria," the blonde said coolly upon recognizing the girl.

"Rachel," the pixie-haired girl reciprocated with a matching tone. "It's been a while."

"Not long enough if you ask me," the hazel-eyed girl said, staring straight into Victoria's eyes, before she turned to face Max. "A word of advice, Max. If I were you, I'd stay clear of this back-stabbing bitch."

"Back-stabbing…? Victoria huffed, her face turning crimson as she scowled at the shorter blonde. "You got a lot of nerve…!"

"Well, what else would you call a person who tries to take your place in a play by slipping you a mickey just before the curtain call?" The pixie-haired girl's face turned even redder at the remark but the bitter scowl turned into a bashful glance at the freckled hipster. It was only momentary before she managed to restore her composure, but not quickly enough for Rachel not to notice. "You see, Max, this is the type of person you're hanging out with. You'd better watch your back," she said to the brunette.

"I was desperate to get the part," Victoria pleaded her case to Max. "Besides, it was me who ended up drinking that damn tea and passing out, so no harm done!" she retorted at Rachel.

"That doesn't change the fact that you tried to sabotage me. We were supposed to be friends for God's sake!" Rachel shot back, making the other girl turn bashful again.

"Look, Rachel, I admit it was a shitty thing to do," Victoria said, the sudden humbleness in her voice taking the hazel-eyed girl completely by surprise. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry."

Rachel stared at the taller blonde in amazement for a few seconds, before snorting: "Victoria Chase is sorry? Hell must've frozen over!"

Victoria scowled at the remark and was about to say something when Max put her arm on pixie-haired girl's shoulder and gave a pleading look to her. Victoria stood down but kept still scowling at Rachel.

"Look, Rachel, I know you guys have some extra baggage," Max turned her attention to the shorter blonde, "but Victoria has changed. She's not the bitch you once knew."

Rachel looked sternly at the freckled girl and her companion in turn for a while, before she snorted and let her expression mellow again somewhat. "Well, I suppose life's too short to hold a grudge. Let's call it a truce," she said to Victoria and offered her hand to the blonde, who after a moment's hesitation took it. "Max here seems to be a good influence on you," Rachel said as they shook on the newly established truce.

"She is," Victoria admitted.

While still shaking, Rachel leaned forward next to Victoria's ear. "I don't know that you two are up to but remember I'm keeping an eye on you," she whispered to the other girl, smiling.

"Whatever the fuck helps you sleep better at nights," the taller blonde whispered back, also smiling.

"Well, with that out of the way, let me take you to our place. Chloe's probably wondering what's taking me so long," Rachel said to the girls as she let go of Victoria's hand. "She'll be hella surprised when she sees who I'm bringing with me."

As they crossed the street, Rachel took a moment to assess the two girls that were accompanying her. First there was Victoria Chase. During the last fifteen minutes, Rachel had witnessed sides of the pixie-haired girl that she honestly had not believed to exist. Victoria still carried a certain prestige around her, and Rachel had no doubt that when times called the pixie-haired blonde's tongue was still as sharp as ever. Now, Victoria seemed to make an effort to hold herself back and be on the defensive. Seeing the blonde explain herself to someone, much less making an apology, was definitely a first for Rachel. Undoubtedly, the small brunette walking beside them had something to do with Victoria's changed demeanor.

… _which brings us to our other subject._ Rachel turned her attention to the freckled girl. _So this is the much coveted Max Caulfield,_ Rachel thought as they approached the gate leading into the apartment lot. The brunette was roughly her height, and while she wasn't as curvaceous as Rachel, she had a certain frailty to her that gave her beauty despite her slightly mousey appearance. _Yeah… I get what Chloe saw in her._ It was also the freckled girl's apparent shyness and awkwardness that made her pretty much adorable as a whole. Despite all the sweetness, or maybe because of it, Rachel couldn't help seeing Max as a potential threat. _What are your intentions, Max Caulfield?_

"So, how did you get our address from the publisher?" Rachel asked as they climbed the stairs to the second story.

"Through Victoria's connections," Max answered.

"So, moving in the right circles does come with perks," Rachel cast a meaningful smirk at the taller blonde, who scowled in response. Victoria opened her mouth to retort but she bit her tongue and simply let out a short huff. "Well, anyway, this is us." Rachel stopped in front of one of the doors along the aisle. She took her key from her bag and opened the door.

"Babe, I'm home!" Rachel shouted as they stepped in. They got no response, however. "Hmm, Chloe must've gone out, but I'm sure she'll return soon," she said to the other girls. "Look, you're welcome to stay with us if you don't mind sharing a fold-out sofa."

"Um, I think we can manage that," Max said, casting a questioning look towards Victoria.

"I suppose it'll do," the pixie-haired girl said.

Rachel wasn't fooled by the apparent nonchalance of the taller girl. Something told her Victoria wasn't at all displeased by the sleeping arrangements. Rachel cast another glance at the two girls, and then it hit her. _No. Fucking. Way!_ Her eyes grew wider. _Victoria's got the hots for Max!_ Rachel focused on the freckled girl who had stepped into the living room and was inspecting the room meticulously. _She has tamed the Queen of Blackhell! Who are you, Max Caulfield?_

"It's really nice and cozy in here," Max complimented, still spinning her head around. "I can definitely see you and Chloe living here."

"It's mostly from yard sales, thrift stores and Ikea," Rachel commented, "but we like it."

"It would be so awesome to live in a place like this," the brunette said. "Don't you think, Vic?"

"Hmph, it does seem to have a certain hipster-y vibe to it, so I can definitely understand why you like it," Victoria commented dryly.

"Wow, you really are a good influence on Victoria, Max," Rachel remarked, smirking. "That sounded almost like a compliment." The taller blonde sneered at her.

"Victoria really has changed," Max hurried to defend her friend. "If you knew her like I do-," she was cut short as the keys turned in the lock and the door opened. Everyone turned their attention to person stepping in.

"Oh good, you're back, babe," Chloe said to Rachel as she took off her jacket. "I got worried and went out to meet you on the bus-" She stopped when she realized Rachel wasn't alone in the room. "What is _she_ doing here?" she asked, frowning at Victoria when she recognized her.

"Chloe we got visitors-," Rachel began but stopped when she saw the dumbfounded expression on her partner's face upon recognizing the other visitor.

"Hello, Chloe," Max said timidly to the former bluenette.

Chloe didn't say anything. Instead, she took a few steps back, still sporting the upset expression, before she turned on her heels and running out of the door.

"Chloe!" Rachel shouted after her and was about follow her when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Please, let me," Max said to her and stepped out before she could object.

-ooo-

Chloe's heart beat in panic as she ran down the flight of stairs. _Max is here! After five years of silence, Max is standing in our fucking living room! She is here, and how do you react? You fucking run away in panic!_ She slowed her pace to a walk, eventually stopping next to her car, panting heavily after the sudden sprint. _What is she doing here? How did she find us, and what is Bitchtoria doing with her?_

Chloe's thoughts were buried under the torrent of emotions running through her. Happiness, sadness, desperation, anger, guilt, all trying to surface at the same time, resolving into a severe anxiety that almost made her knees buckle. With shaking hands she dug out a pack of cigarettes and lit up. She inhaled deep and felt the nicotine work its magic as she held the smoke within her lungs. Slowly, she let the smoke escape through the small crack between her lips, releasing a narrow, milky white trail of puff into the air.

As she smoked, her anxiety gave way to a flood of memories. Memories of Max and her playing together, dressed up as pirates, making pancakes, waving goodbye for her father for the last time, Max telling that she was moving to Seattle. Chloe wiped the corners of her eyes with her free hand to dry the developing tears. She had hoped for and dreaded this day; the day that Max would return. She'd thought a million times what she would say to Max if they actually would meet again. Now that she was here, Chloe was still as lost for words as she had been on all those times she'd thought about it.

"C-Chloe…?" Max's voice, maybe half an octave huskier than the punk remembered, said behind her.

Taking a final drag from her cigarette before flipping it away, Chloe gathered all her willpower to force herself to turn and grin at the brunette who was standing a few steps away from her, crossing one arm over the other. "Maxine fucking Caulfield," Chloe said, regretting the F-bomb the moment it escaped her mouth. "How long has it been? Oh yeah, five years! Not a single visit or phone call," she said, trying to sound sardonic. _Damn you, voice! Stop trembling!_

"I-, I know, Chloe," the brunette said timidly, "and I'm sorry. I know a random text every now and then doesn't make up for having to leave you when you were going through tough times."

"Tough times? That's putting it mildly!" Chloe snorted. "My life was in fucking shambles and you bailed on me!"

"It's not like I deliberately chose to leave for Seattle when you were grieving over your dad," Max said, slightly vexed. "Besides, you didn't exactly encourage me to keep the lines of communication open, the way you told me off." She let out a sigh. "I figured you needed time for yourself."

"Maybe I did, but not a whole fucking year!" the former bluenette shot back. "That's right, it took over a year for you to even text me after you left, and after a few lousy messages you stopped altogether," her voice started cracking. "I-, I needed my friend." A single tear ran down her cheek.

Max closed her eyes and hung her head bashfully before answering. "I know it's not much of an excuse but things weren't easy for me either. Moving to Seattle in that situation was a shock for me too, and our fallout didn't exactly help," the brunette explained quietly. "I had a hard time getting accustomed to Seattle and my new school. My introversion became worse and I was completely withdrawn for a while. I wanted to reach out to you, but I didn't have the courage. I was actually assigned into an IEP at my school. You can imagine what that did to my rep there. I really needed a friend too, but I wasn't in the shape to deal with our break-up. That's why I chickened out after a few texts."

Both girls were now teary-eyed, although Chloe no longer from her own hurt feelings. All these years when she had been dwelling in her misery she had not once considered the possibility that Max could be hurting as well. The realization made the punk scold herself even more for not making a greater effort to reach out for her friend.

"Did you get bullied?" Chloe asked.

"In my first school, yeah," Max answered. "I was basically called a retard by some of the students."

The taller girl clenched her fists in anger at the thought of Max being bullied. "I wish I had known. I would've come to kick their ass."

"I have no doubt," the freckled girl commented, managing a smile. "It got easier when I started high school at Edmonds-Woodway. They had a photography program, so I could focus on that and build up my confidence. I also made some new friends there."

"I'm glad to hear that," Chloe said, realizing she actually meant it.

"Anyhow, I finally decided to bite the bullet and come to bury the hatchet, if you're willing that is," Max looked bashfully away again. "I'm so, so sorry, Chloe, for being such a shitty friend and shutting you out."

Chloe looked at the brunette. As much as she wanted to be mad at her, she knew she couldn't. "Damn you! Even after five years, you're still Max Caulfield!" She opened her arms. "C'mere!" After a moment's hesitation, Max took the final steps towards the former bluenette and into her embrace, holding her at least as tightly. For a moment they just stood there, both sobbing quietly. Five years ago, life had torn them apart, leaving both broken from the inside. Now, Max had reached out for her to make amends. Chloe knew that rebuilding their friendship would take time and it wouldn't be easy, but anything was better than the state of things up to this point. "Apology accepted, and for what it's worth, I'm sorry for being, well, me."

"So, cold war over?" Max finally asked when they let go of each other.

"Yeah, the wall has come down," Chloe answered with a smile. "It's good to see you again."

"You know, I was supposed to come back to Arcadia Bay, to Blackwell for my senior year, but I gave up on that idea when I heard Mark Jefferson, the photographer that I really admire, had quit teaching there," the brunette remarked.

"You could have always come for little old me," Chloe suggested with puppy eyes.

"To find out you'd left town? Yeah right." Max rolled her eyes.

"Pffft, details!" Chloe brushed it off. They had been together for less than ten minutes and already they were beginning to sass each other like in the old days. "But tell me, what's the deal with you and Miss Congeniality up there?"

"Victoria? She came to my school after she quit Blackwell and returned to Seattle," Max explained. "We actually met when the local Queen Bee prevented the coup Victoria tried to stage by dropping a bucket of paint on her."

"Paint?" the punk asked incredulously. "I wish I had been there to see when someone shows Bitchtoria her place."

"Oh, Victoria was definitely out of her league with Portia van Breen," Max admitted.

"Portia van Breen? Wow, even the name sounds snobby."

"You don't know the half of it."

"Yet here you are with the girl who thinks the periodic table is for keeping a log of your periods," Chloe pointed out. "I mean you're the last person I'd think would be friends with Icky Vicky."

"Victoria and I aren't actually that different," the brunette said. "We are both into photography and we are both insecure, always doubting our talents. I know what kind of person Victoria used to be, but it's because of her insecurity and the pressure she feels from her parents. Do you really think I hang out with her because I want to bask in her favor? I'm with Victoria because I've seen the true person behind that bitchy shell. She really wants to be a better person."

"What, are you now like best friends for life?" Chloe asked half-jokingly.

"I… I'm not sure what we are," Max answered hesitantly. "I think we're maybe something more."

"Oh." The bluenette couldn't hide her surprise, mixed with a dash of disappointment and discouragement. Back when she had been taking the first steps in adolescence, Chloe had already began to wonder her sexual orientation, and also which way Max might sway. Chloe couldn't deny that she'd had a crush on Max back then. Pretty much only the fear that it might ruin their friendship had held her back. Chloe had never gotten the chance to find out whether the brunette might feel the same way before her life had gone to hell. Therefore Max's confession about her being romantically involved with a person Chloe held in low regard hit her like a ton of bricks.

"You look… disappointed," the hipster said with a concerned look on her face.

"Uh, sorry, no, just surprised is all," Chloe hurried to reassure. "I'm really happy for you. I always said you are a good influence on people. If anyone can bring out the best in Victoria, it's you."

"I'd like to ask that you'd go easy on Victoria," Max requested. "She's really making an effort."

"Be nice to Vicky?" the punk asked with a thoughtful grin on her face. "I can't make any promises."

"For me?" the brunette asked with doe eyes.

"You know I never can say no to those eyes, Max," Chloe groaned. "Very well!"

"Thank you, Chloe."

"For you, Maxaroni, anything," the former bluenette said and took the smaller girl into her embrace again. "I'm really glad you came."

"Well, it looks like life turned out all right for both of us," Max said while being held. "You and Rachel are living it large here in LA and I got Victoria by my side."

"Yeah, life is good," Chloe answered, slight wistfulness in her tone.

-ooo-

Victoria stepped out onto the balcony and dug out a cigarette from the pack. She lit up and took a deep drag from it. _The distance I'm willing to go for you, Maxine Caulfield!_ Victoria thought when she leaned against the railing. She really needed some time to herself after having to have to endure Rachel's bitching without being able to shoot back with her full arsenal. After Max had ran out after Chloe, the atmosphere between the two former friends had been awkward to say the least. Luckily, Rachel had refrained from taunting her more, which was good because Victoria wasn't sure whether she would have been able to hold herself back. After a few futile attempts at small talk, Victoria had excused herself and went outside for a smoke.

Victoria did realize of course that she had mostly herself to thank for people's animosity towards her. It was the debt that she was now collecting for all the scheming and badmouthing that she had done over the years to advance her own cause. Granted, Rachel was no angel either; the hazel-eyed girl had her own secrets, and she definitely didn't hesitate to use other people while pursuing her goals. Victoria had always wondered what Rachel saw in Chloe. From an outsider's viewpoint, the two girls simply looked so mismatched, that there had to be an ulterior motive behind Rachel being in a relationship with the punk. To be honest, Victoria had expected Rachel to dump Chloe ages ago, but apparently she had not yet outlived her purpose.

The blonde took another drag of her cigarette and glanced down at the parking lot and found Max and Chloe standing next to a brown dinged sedan. _Looks like Max managed to catch up with her,_ she thought as she stubbed the cigarette and let the last trail of smoke out of her mouth. She was about turn on her heels and leave the balcony when the sight of the two girls embracing each other caught her eyes. She stood frozen at the sight for a few moments, furrowing her brows, before she finally turned her back on them and walked inside.

-ooo-

Frank sat on the saddle of the Harley, taking sips from a bottle of ice cold Corona in his hand. Pretty much every muscle in his body was aching from the day-long ride. His luck had almost ran out at the end when he had lost the sight of the girls when they had arrived at Lincoln Heights. Trusting that this was their destination, Frank had kept roaming the streets of the neighborhood when he had finally seen the blue Mini parked at the side of the street, next to an apartment complex. He had parked his bike on a spot where he had a good view into the yard. He'd picked up a couple of sandwiches and beers from a nearby grocery store and begun to keep watch while devouring the food.

Frank emptied the bottle and put it on the ground. Just then he saw a figure running down the stairs and across the parking lot. Frank smiled triumphantly as he watched the tall, lean girl run to an old Ford Crown Victoria and remain standing there. He opened the second bottle of Corona and took a long swig while keeping his eyes focused on the girl.

 _There you are._

 **To be continued...  
**

* * *

 **A/N: Welcome back! It's again been a while since the last update. I was really struggling with the writer's block in the beginning of this chapter and didn't find my flow until recently, when I practically wrote the second half of the chapter in a matter of days. Hopefully the next one won't take as long. I will not be doing any writing until after Christmas, though.  
**

 **So, Max and Chloe finally meet and it isn't without drama. I wanted to come up with a possible reason to why Max actually tried to make contact after a year, as we have learned from BtS, but then gave up on it. I figured Max's introversy could've been contributing to the fact that she and Chloe didn't part in best of terms. Also Max's time powers are back, this time saving Rachel from a certain death. As we all know, actions come with consequences...**

 **Thanks again for all the reviews! Those are always welcome. You know, it was my second anniversary as a LiS fanfic author on November, and in January it will be one year since I started writing this story. Amazing how fast time has gone. It feels like it was only yesterday when I typed in the first words of 'Obscura', yet when I look at it I feel I've come lightyears from that point as a writer. I'm hardly perfect, though, and I'm extremely grateful to have a person like Crowthorne to fix my idiotic idioms.**

 **Until next time!**


	10. Life is Shambles

**October 14, 2013, 5:51 a.m.**

She opens her eyes. She feels extremely groggy. She tries to turn her head, only to find out that she can't. All she can see is the nightly sky above her. The nebula of the Milky Way stands out clearly against the dark canvas. The multitude of stars is almost incomprehensible. The sky looks so beautiful, even more beautiful than the projection from her star lamp.

It's cold. She realizes that she's lying on the ground. The soil feels damp against her back. She tries to lift her arm, but the limb stays immobile at her side. She is beginning to feel slightly panicky. Where is she and why can't she move? It's like she is paralyzed, yet she can feel goosebumps on her arms because of the damp cold air.

She hears footsteps. She tries to speak but not a single word escapes her mouth. The footsteps come closer. Someone is coming to help her! She turns her gaze as much towards the sound of steps as she can without turning her head. A dark figure appears above her. She can't make out who it is, not until the figure steps over her on her other side and the moonlight reveals his face. It's Nathan! He doesn't do anything to help her, though. He's just hovering above her and staring at her gloomily. He's holding something. A shovel. What is he going to do with a shovel? Nathan sticks the shovel in the ground and begins shoveling. She feels her feet become covered with soil. Is Nathan burying her? Can't he see she's alive?

She begins to panic for real. She frantically tries to move, but her body betrays her still. Her body is already half buried. She tries to scream but not even a squeak comes out. She tries to blink but her eyes stay wide open. Shovelful after shovelful, her body is buried beneath the ground. She's being buried alive and she can't do anything about it! Soon everything but her face is covered with dirt. Nathan stops for a moment, as another pair of feet steps towards them. Another dark, manly figure appears above her. The moon shines behind the other figure, obscuring his features. There's something familiar about him but she can't quite put her finger on it. It doesn't matter, as long as he'll make Nathan stop.

The two men exchange glances, then Nathan continues his chore. One strike after another the shovel hits the ground, followed by the sensation of the moist soil covering her. No, they can't do this! The dirt now covers her mouth and nose. She can't do anything but to hold her breath. The other man turns and she can almost make him out when the last shovelful hits her eyes and everything turns black.

-ooo-

Chloe was lying in bed, her eyes still tightly closed even though she was no longer asleep. She knew without looking that her alarm clock would go off in less than ten minutes. She had been sleeping restlessly throughout the night, as her mind had been working overtime. The reason for her restlessness was quietly snoring in the living room. Even after five years, Chloe could still recognize Max's snoring. The numerous sleepovers at her home and at the Caulfields' had made sure of that.

Chloe still had a hard time grasping that Max was sleeping in the next room. For almost three years, not a single word from her, and then she was in her living room out of the blue, to bury the hatchet, apparently. As much as Chloe wanted to be mad at her, she couldn't. After all this time, Max was still Max. Chloe simply couldn't stay mad at her. That didn't mean that they didn't have issues that they needed to work out. A fuckton of issues, including the fact that Max was now friends, _girl_ friends with Victoria Chase, the biggest backstabbing bitch Chloe had ever had the displeasure of knowing. Max did say that Victoria had changed, and Chloe had to admit that the blonde had acted quite civil towards Rachel and her. Nevertheless, she didn't trust Victoria one bit. If that bitch broke Max's heart Chloe would make her regret the day she was born.

Chloe was snapped out of her thoughts when the whole bed jerked as Rachel rose suddenly into a sitting position, gasping audibly and deeply. The punk turned around to see her partner panting hard, her face sweaty and pale.

"What happened, babe?" Chloe asked as she rose and wrapped her arms around the blonde. Rachel didn't answer. She just kept breathing heavily, looking aghast. "Rachel, talk to me, did you have a nightmare?"

"The worst kind," the hazel-eyed girl finally said when her breathing had steadied. "I was being buried alive and I couldn't move or speak. It felt so fucking real, like I wasn't actually sleeping."

"Jesus, babe! That's hella scary," Chloe said, squeezing the other girl tighter to soothe her. "It's all right now, you're safe and sound in our bedroom."

"Wanna know what the creepiest detail was? It was Nathan who was shoveling dirt all over me," Rachel said with a cracking voice.

"Nathan?" Chloe asked in shock. The images of the Prescott family scion shooting her in her own nightmare came flashing back into her mind.

"Yeah, Nathan," the blonde confirmed. "Just like in your dream last night." She paused for a moment to contemplate. "There was someone else there with him."

"Who?"

"Not sure. He looked kinda familiar but I wasn't able to make out who it was before I woke up."

"Probably Sean," Chloe suggested.

"Yeah, probably," Rachel said in agreement. "It would make sense. Nathan looked like he wasn't acting of his own accord; like he was made to do it."

"Hmph! It would be typical of Sean Prescott to make Nathan do his dirty work for him," Chloe snorted.

"But why would they want me dead? Nathan and I were friends!"

"I doubt that brat considered anyone a friend," the punk commented. "But… Nathan is six feet under himself. Unless he somehow can dig his way out of his grave, he can't hurt you, and even if he could, he'd have to go through me first."

"My knight in shining armor," Rachel said, snuggling into Chloe's lap.

"Anything for my-," Chloe began but was interrupted by the buzzing of the alarm. The punk let out an audible groan. She felt the blonde grasping her tighter. "Look, babe. I'd love nothing more than to snuggle with you all morning, but I really have to get going before the traffic gets too jammed. I'm sorry I have to bail on you like this."

"It's alright, love," Rachel said, not quite able to hide her disappointment. She slid back on her own side.

"Will you be all right with Max and Victoria?" Chloe asked as she stood up and began putting her jeans on.

"Yeah, we'll go shopping or something. I bet Vicky won't be able to resist the opportunity to hit the boutiques on Rodeo."

"Hah! She'll probably be the only one of you three who can afford to buy something from there," Chloe remarked, chuckling.

"You mean Max isn't swimming in money then?" Rachel asked curiously.

"No. I mean, Max's parents are pretty well off, but not filthy rich like the Chases must be," Chloe responded. "Besides, Max doesn't really strike me as a Rodeo Drive type."

"How would you know?" Rachel asked half-teasingly. "You don't know how badly she's been influenced by the Queen Bee."

"From what I saw yesterday I'd say it's the opposite," the former bluenette remarked. "I don't think I've ever seen Victoria so… not trying to be the center of attention."

"Yeah, she was pretty moderated," the hazel eyed girl admitted. "She must be really smitten with Max. Does it bother you, by the way?"

"That Max is with Victoria? No, why should it?" Chloe asked.

"Well, I might be bothered if my old fling showed up with a new girl on her arm," Rachel said suggestively.

"Max and I were kids, so I'd hardly call it a fling," Chloe responded more defensively than she had intended. She was indeed slightly bothered by it, but she thought it better not to admit it to Rachel. Especially since she wasn't sure which bothered her the most; the fact that Max was with Victoria or the fact that she herself wasn't with Max. "Max is free to date whomever she pleases."

Chloe collected her beanie from the bedroom floor and put it on. She could see that the blonde wasn't quite convinced by her answer, but she didn't have time to delve into the subject further. "Look I really have to go," she said, leaning to give a kiss to her partner. "I'll see you guys in the evening. Love you!"

"Love you too," Rachel responded, mellowing a bit.

"Have fun shopping!" the punk wished as she walked to the bedroom door and left.

-ooo-

Max cracked her eyes open when she heard the bedroom door opening. She saw Chloe stepping out from the bedroom and pinched her eyes closed when the punk girl cast a glance at her direction. She didn't want to make Chloe think that she had woken her up, much less to give an impression that she had been awake and eavesdropping on Chloe and Rachel's conversation. Which she had. Max had been pulled out of her slumber by the noise from the bedroom, and the two girls obviously had not been used to having overnight guests as they had conversed at nearly their regular volume.

Max heard Chloe pick up the keys from a basket on the small table by the door. The door was opened and shut, and a few seconds later Max could hear footsteps on the stairs. She opened her eyes again and looked at her side. A slim hand was wrapped around her waist. Max twisted her head some more and saw Victoria sleeping tightly next to her. The blonde was breathing heavily, almost snoring with her mouth slightly open, revealing a perfect set of teeth and causing a small wheeze every time she exhaled. Max wished she'd had her camera on hand, as the taller girl looked adorable in her sleep.

Victoria's nightly outfit was slightly more conservative than the one from last night, but the cotton strap-top made little effort to cover up her figure. Max could still easily make out every curve and contour of Victoria's slender body. She couldn't deny that she enjoyed being the little spoon to Victoria's big spoon. Being in the blonde's tight embrace made Max feel loved and safe. In Victoria she had a perfect companion. Why was it then that her heart fluttered every time when she saw Chloe?

 _Because I still have feelings for her,_ Max answered herself. She'd had budding feelings for the punk girl when she had set out on the task of saving Rachel's life. That had not changed even though pretty much everything else was different from what she had expected. She certainly had not expected to find herself back in Seattle, and best friends with Victoria Chase. In this reality, Chloe was with Rachel, and alter-Max was becoming an item with Victoria. Who was she to screw all that up, especially when she herself was also falling for the pixie-haired girl? _Oh dog! Life is too complicated!_ Max thought and shifted frustratedly.

"Mmm-wha…? Mashh?" Victoria mumbled, half awakened from the brunette's shifting.

"Nothing, Vic, go back to sleep," Max hushed, gently stroking the blonde's hand.

"Dun wanna wahk up yehhh…." Victoria's mumbling turned back to quiet, steady wheezing.

 _Maybe it's best for everyone that I just wish Chloe and Rachel a happy life and go back home with Victoria,_ the hipster girl thought. _That way everyone will be happy._ A single tear running down her cheek tried to object, but she just brushed it away, and eventually fell back into slumber.

-ooo-

"No, Victoria! I can't have you buy me another blouse!" Rachel heard Max protest, as the hazel-eyed girl was wistfully gazing at a pair of ripped jeans that she could afford to buy if she won the lottery.

"But it looks amazing on you," the blonde objected. "I refuse to leave this store without it!"

"Very well then! It does look nice. But this must absolutely be the last one."

They had been spent most of the morning and early afternoon doing shopping at the boutiques on the Rodeo Drive, only stopping to enjoy a quick lunch at noon. Victoria had been the one doing the shopping for the most part, though. Rachel had watched in envy as the pixie-haired girl had not given her credit card a moment of rest while she had been buying clothes and apparel for herself, and especially for Max. It was like the blonde was on a mission to renew her girlfriend's wardrobe from top to bottom. Victoria had also offered to buy something for Rachel too but she had politely declined. She would fare fine without the Queen Bee's handouts. Still, the jeans looked awesome and they had been a perfect fit when she had tried them on.

"Come on, Rachel," Victoria pleaded, "let me buy those jeans for you, as a gesture of goodwill. I really want to make amends for what I did to you at Blackwell."

"This is too much, Victoria. I couldn't possibly…"

"Nonsense!" The taller blonde send determinedly and grabbed the pair of jeans, draping them over her arm.

"Resistance is futile, Rachel," Max chuckled. "Trust me, I know."

"Well, I guess I have no other choice than to accept, then," Rachel relented. "Thank you, Victoria."

"It's my pleasure, Rachel," Victoria said as she handed the clothes to the clerk.

"Well, let me at least treat you to something in return."

"There's really no need…"

"I insist. Let's head out as soon as you're done."

About half an hour's drive later the girls parked in front of an old industrial building in Hollywood. Rachel checked her phone to double check that this was the address Mark had given to her. While Mark held residence in Santa Monica, he had set up a studio in Hollywood. The building dated back to the early 20th century, and it let its age show with the concrete walls looking dirty and cracked. The windows were covered in a thick layer of filth caused by years and years of exposure to pollution. Still, a few parked cars at the designated spots and a fairly modern looking door with an intercom revealed that the building wasn't abandoned. A graphite grey Rolls-Royce Ghost in one spot told Rachel that they were at the right place. She hoped Mark wouldn't mind that she was a little early to their appointment, and that she had brought some surprise guests with her.

"Now would you mind telling us what we're doing here?" Victoria asked.

"Does that Rolls-Royce look familiar, Victoria?" Rachel pointed at the prestigious car.

The blonde glanced at the car indifferently for a passing moment, before her brows rose in realization. "You mean…?"

"Yes," the hazel-eyed girl grinned.

"Are you saying Mark Jefferson is in that building?" Victoria asked to confirm, and received a nod from Rachel.

"Wait what?" Max now joined the conversation. "This is Mark Jefferson's studio?" she asked enthusiastically. Another nod.

"Now how did you manage to find him?" the pixie-haired girl asked, a hint of envy in her voice.

"Actually, he looked me up," Rachel answered. "He'd seen the same advert you did and came to look for me. He's offered to do a model portfolio for me, and I was supposed to meet him today to discuss the details. I thought you might want to catch up with your old teacher, and something tells me Max wouldn't mind either."

"Are you kidding? Mark Jefferson is one of my idols!" the brunette said a gleeful smile on her face. "I was going to apply to Blackwell to take his photography class, but then he quit all of a sudden, so I gave up on that idea." She let out a wistful sigh. "Are you sure he'll meet us?"

"Oh, I'm sure he wouldn't say no to his former student and another avid photographer," Rachel said, trying to sound reassuring. Within herself, she didn't feel very reassured. She had not planned on letting Max and Victoria tag along to her meeting with Mark, but what choice did she have? Chloe had asked her if she could spend time with the girls, and Rachel had no plausible excuse to say no. _Let's hope Mark won't be too upset about the unexpected visitors._

"Well, this is indeed a treat, Rachel," Victoria remarked approvingly as they walked to the door.

"I have one request," Rachel pleaded. "Please don't say anything to Chloe. This is supposed to be a surprise."

"Mum's the word," the hipster promised.

"Well, here goes…" Rachel said to herself as she pressed the button on the door intercom.

"Yes…?" Jefferson's voice said on the loudspeaker.

"It's Rachel… with some friends," the blonde said to the intercom. The loudspeaker stayed quiet. _This was a bad idea._ "If this is a bad time…" she began but was interrupted by a loud buzz and a click indicating that the door was unlocked. Without hesitation she grabbed the door handle and pushed it open. The three girls stepped into a small lobby with a staircase leading to the upper floors and a small hallway leading to the offices on the ground level. The information board on the wall told them that Jefferson's office was on the ground level, so they headed into the hallway. It led them to a narrow corridor lined with half a dozen doors on each side. The last door on the right side stood slightly separated from the others, and it was left ajar. Deducing that it must be Jefferson's office, Rachel led the others to the last door and peeked inside.

The door led to a large storage room with a sectional door at the other end separating it from the loading dock that resided at the other end of the building. The insides had been converted into a professional photography studio with a large whitewall dominating one side. Numerous light posts illuminated the huge background, making it almost shine. A tripod with a camera attached stood ready in front of the whitewall. On the other side there was a desk accompanied by an industrial printer and a few shelves with supplies. In one corner was a separate room with a red light over the door, indicating that it acted as a dark room. One thing that struck out as an oddity to Rachel's eye was the small table and couch that were set almost right behind the tripod, facing the whitewall. _Why anyone would want to watch a whitewall?_ she thought to herself.

She didn't have time to entertain that thought further as the door leading to the dark room opened and Mark Jefferson stepped out. If he was upset about the additional guests, his expression didn't reveal it in any way.

"Good afternoon, Rachel," the photographer greeted the blonde.

"Hello, Mark," Rachel responded, stepping further inside into the studio with the other girls right on her trail.

"Always a pleasure to see you, my dear," Mark said, letting out a smile. "Would you introduce me to your friends? Although I do believe I recognize at least one of them. Always delighted to see my number one student," he said to Victoria.

"Oh, you're too kind, Mr. Jefferson," the pixie-haired girl replied with a flirtatious tone.

"Please, call me Mark. Since I'm no longer your teacher, there's no need to be formal."

"Very well, Mark," Victoria complied.

 _Always eager to please, aren't you, Chase?_ Rachel thought bitterly as she stepped aside to give room for the hipster girl who had stayed on the background. "Mark, meet Max Caulfield, an aspiring photographer like Victoria."

Rachel observed the bearded man's eyes grow wider as he caught his first glimpse of the freckled brunette, and it took him a few fleeting moments to collect his thoughts before he stepped forward and offered his hand to the flustered girl. "A pleasure to meet you, Max," he greeted with a mesmerizing smile on his face. "Short for Maxine, I take it?"

"Uhm, i-it's an honor to meet you too, Mr. Jefferson," the brunette stammered. "A-and it's Max, never Maxine."

"Only, if you call me Mark," the photographer insisted. "So you're a photographer? Analog or digital?"

"P-Polaroid, actually," Max answered.

"Polaroid? An interesting, and challenging choice of tool," Mark remarked. "I'd love to see your shots, if you don't mind."

"Uh, s-sure, although I don't have that many pictures with me, and they're hardly my best."

"Don't be modest, Max. I would never miss an opportunity to allow an avid photographer showcase their work to me. Let's go over to the table and take a closer look, shall we?" the man suggested and began walking towards the table by the couch.

Rachel frowned as she followed the others to the table. The others had seemed to overlook Mark's momentary bafflement, but she had noticed it, as this wasn't the first time she had seen it. She had witnessed that same expression the first time she had walked into his class. _What is it about you, Max Caulfield?_

Max laid out the photos she had with her on the table. There were roughly a dozen in total, mostly selfies. Rachel could see the brunette's lips moving as she arranged the pictures, as if she had muttered something to herself. The blonde cast a quick glance at the photos and concluded that Max was too self-conscious about her skills. The pictures were far better than anything she had ever taken in her life. Then again, her talent lay on the other side of the shutter.

Jefferson, on the other, hand took his time to examine the photos, frowning critically at the shots. Rachel could see how uneasy Max was during the whole process, and she could imagine that the passing minutes must've feel like an eternity to the shy hipster.

"Based on these, I'd say you're somewhat inclined to selfie-expression, Max," the photographer finally said with a short smile. "But can you tell me the name of the process that gave birth to the first self-portraits?"

The brunette raised her brow momentarily at the abrupt question. "Daguerreotype, invented by a French painter named Louis Daguerre," she then said without hesitation. "It gave portraits a sharp reflective style, like a mirror."

"Well, well, I'm impressed," Jefferson said, clearly letting his expression show it. "As much as I am by these pictures. If I couldn't see it with my own eyes, I wouldn't believe that these were taken with a Polaroid. Which model did you say you have?"

"Um, a JobPro 600."

"Like I said, I am impressed. You clearly have a gift, Max," Mark said, taking his glasses off to clean the lenses. "As you may know I used to teach at Blackwell Academy. I would've loved to have you in my class."

"R-really?" Max asked, an incredulous look on her face at first, turning to a meaningful smile. "Well, I was going to apply to Blackwell but I gave up on that idea when I learned you had left."

"Ah, clearly my loss, then," the former photography teacher admitted. "Are you studying photography at school, though?"

"Yes, Victoria and I both are in the same class."

"May I ask who's teaching you?"

"Ben Juliett."

"Oh, Ben? I visited a couple of his exhibitions when I was still living in Seattle," Jefferson remarked. "He certainly has a… unique style of composition."

"Um, Mark? About my photoshoot…?" Rachel asked. She was beginning to be fed up with Max stealing all of Jefferson's attention. They'd come here to discuss her photoshoot, but Mark seemed to be completely enchanted by Max.

"Ah, I'm afraid we have to reschedule," Mark said, looking at his watch. "Something came up that needs my attention. I'll call you later, okay?"

"What? But…" the hazel-eyed girl began but stopped when she realized that the subject was no longer open for discussion. "Very well."

"I'm glad that you understand," Mark said, collecting the photos from the table and handing them to Max. "I'm sorry to have to end this meeting so abruptly but I really have to run. It was a pleasure meeting you, Max."

"It was a pleasure meeting you too, Mark," the brunette responded.

"Now, if you ladies will excuse me…" The photographer walked to the door and opened it.

Rachel followed the others to the door. No one saw the sullen glance that she cast at the petite hipster walking in front of her. This meeting was supposed to be about her photoshoot but Max Caulfield had come out of nowhere and stolen the whole show with her photographs and apparent shy geekiness. Rachel's rational side tried to tell her that it had not been the brunette's intention, but her sentimental side pushed those thoughts back. _I'm keeping my eye on you, Max._

-ooo-

As soon as the door had closed behind the girls, Mark walked over to his desk, took a whisky bottle and a glass from the shelf and poured some whisky into the glass. His mind was racing over the sudden turn of events. The encounter with Max Caulfield was an unexpected opportunity that had come knocking on his door. Within a matter of minutes, Mark had become obsessed with the hipster girl, but not because of her photography skills. Sure, the girl had potential, and with the right kind of tutoring she might make a name for herself, but that wasn't what occupied his mind. Max herself, her shy demeanor, it was the perfect specimen of the pure, uncorrupted innocence he had been searching for. Max Caulfield was the perfect subject for his project.

Mark swirled the drink in his hand as he was thinking. This was indeed an opportunity, but it also meant that he'd have to expedite his plan. He couldn't risk Max returning to Seattle, which meant the shooting would have to take place tonight. That presented another problem, though. He would need to get the girl here somehow. Simply trying to snatch her was out of the question; he would have to lure her in somehow, and that's where Rachel would step in. Mark couldn't help a smirk appearing on his face as he lifted the glass on his lips.

-ooo-

"What is it with you, Max?" Victoria asked as she flicked the cigarette between her fingers.

"What do you mean, Victoria?" Max asked back. They were both standing on Chloe and Rachel's balcony. Rachel had excused herself to run some errands, so Max and Victoria were enjoying the warm afternoon by themselves.

"You had Jefferson buzzing all over you," the taller girl said. "Just like that. You know, I'm actually glad he quit and you never came to Blackwell. I would've probably been a real bitch towards you if you had come and stolen all his attention from me."

"Oh, I can picture that," the brunette chuckled. Having been the target of Victoria's ire in her own timeline made the imagining fairly easy. "Must not steal away Mr. Jefferson's precious attention from the Queen Bee." Max's Gollum impression was rewarded with a frown from the pixie haired girl.

"Bite me, Caulfield," Victoria huffed back and took a drag from her cigarette.

"Any specific place you want me to bite you?" Max found herself asking. "The other night you seemed to enjoy when I nibbled your-"

"Oh, hush, you!" The pixie-haired girl poked the hipster's arm, grinning.

Max smiled back at Victoria but didn't say anything. She couldn't still quite understand how this timeline's Max was able to momentarily take over. It was so subtle, almost like an impulse. Max didn't even realize it was happening before it was over. Except one time. When she'd had sex with Victoria. That time the other Max had been in control longer, only letting go when Max had been already lost in the moment. She didn't know if this was only temporary, or if the other Max would reclaim her body and she would have to yield.

"Sex talk! I wanna join!" Chloe exclaimed from the balcony door, startling the other girls. The punk stepped onto the balcony and lit a cigarette. "I wanna hear all about how you nibbled Vicky's…?"

"Oh, I bet you do," Max managed to say when she had recovered from the surprise. "Alas, I'm going to spare my lungs and excuse myself. I can handle one smoker, but two is getting just a little too thick." She stepped back, waving to clear the air.

"Well, then I'm just gonna get all the dirty details from Vicky here," Chloe cast an impish grin at Victoria.

"In your dreams, Price!" the pixie-haired girl retorted, huffing out a cloud of smoke.

"OK, you ladies try to behave while I visit the bathroom," Max snickered as she withdrew from the balcony.

Max made her way to the bathroom and closed the door behind her. After having finished her business, she stood in front of the mirror and gazed at her reflection. It was her, and yet, it wasn't. The Max in this reality wasn't such a great divergence from herself as the Max in the other alternative reality had been, but it was different nevertheless. In both cases, Victoria had taken Chloe's place as her closest friend; and in this particular case her relationship with the pixie-haired girl was clearly evolving into something more. That didn't make things any easier when it came to her own fledgling feelings towards Chloe.

Max sighed heavily, fogging the mirror with her breath, and distorting the image that was staring back at her. She watched how the fog slowly evaporated, revealing her reflection again, and found herself smiling. Max knew what she had signed up for when she had jumped into the picture in order to save Rachel. She had achieved that. Rachel was alive and Nathan was dead, no longer posing a threat to anyone. Even Chloe seemed to be happy, now that she was living with Rachel. She actually seemed more responsible than she had been in Max's own timeline. Maybe getting out of Arcadia Bay had been all Chloe needed to get her life back on track. Also Kate's future looked brighter, with her incident reduced to a close call rather than a public humiliation. And last but not least Victoria… The influence of this timeline's Max had transformed the former petty and selfish bitch into this wonderful, caring and sympathetic person.

The current status quo seemed a win for everyone. Still, Max couldn't help feeling uncertainty about if this was the outcome she had hoped for. Somewhere, deep inside, she was questioning herself whether she would be happier if she was with Chloe. Should she pursue Chloe despite of everything? Max entertained the thought for a moment, before she closed her eyes tightly and shook her head. She couldn't do that to Victoria and Rachel, and most of all, she couldn't do that to herself. Her other self. Max didn't know how her powers worked, but based on what she had experienced in this timeline it was possible that it wasn't her timeline to keep. At least not all to herself. She couldn't deny the other Max her chance at happiness.

 _Maybe this is the price I have to pay for saving Rachel's life._

A sudden commotion from the outside distracted Max from her thoughts. She walked to the bathroom door and pricked up her ears. It sounded like someone was arguing heatedly. _Victoria and Chloe!_ she thought as she recognized the voices. She pushed the door open to find the two girls in a middle of a quarrel.

"…thanks to you, I was expelled from Blackwell!" Chloe said angrily. "If you had not ratted me out to Wells, I might've actually graduated!"

"Well, I didn't ask you to sabotage my assignment!" Victoria shot back.

"If you don't know the difference between the periodic table and a PMS calendar, I'd say you had it coming!"

"I do too- That's not important!"

"No! What is important is that I'm not buying into your 'I'm a changed person' act one bit!" the punk said harshly. "You've always been looking out for your own interests, no matter what the cost! I don't want you to drag Max down with whatever it is that you're scheming!"

"I'm dragging Max down?" Victoria retorted. "Oh, I bet her life would be so much better with you and Rachel here! She would waste her potential, just like you did-"

The slap happened so quickly that Max hardly had noticed it. The only sign of Chloe having slapped Victoria was the red mark on the blonde's cheek. Now, everyone was standing frozen in their positions.

"That's it! I'm not staying in this hovel one second more!" Victoria was the first to break the silence. She walked to her bag, and with incredible speed stuffed her belongings into it. "You coming or not, Max?" she asked the dumbfounded brunette.

"I, uh-" Max stammered. Part of her had wanted to comply, but for once she had been able to suppress the impulse from her 'other self'. She wanted to find a peaceful resolution to this, but now her words were betraying her.

"Looks like I got my answer," the pixie-haired girl said, disappointment clear in her voice. "I'm taking a flight back to Seattle. Call me when you come back to your senses!" With that she walked out of the door.

Max took a few steps after her, raising her hand in vain to rewind. _No, no! Work, god dammit!_ She felt the punk's hand on her shoulder. "Let her go, Max. You're better off without her."

Max took a few more steps, before she stopped, despondent. She turned slowly and looked into the eyes of her friend, not quite sure if she had made the right decision.

-ooo-

Rachel stepped into the courtyard of their apartment complex. She'd needed some time by herself after the visit to Jefferson's studio, so she had told the girls that she was going to get some groceries for the dinner. The more time she had spent in Max Caulfield's presence the more she was beginning to dislike the brunette. Max seemed to have the ability to draw everyone's attention to her with her shy geekiness, without even realizing she was doing it.

Rachel realized that she was overreacting to the whole issue. She knew Max didn't mean to steal everyone's attention. It was just that Rachel herself had gotten so used to being in the spotlight that being in the shadow made her feel uneasy.

 _Chillax, Amber!_ Rachel tried to calm herself. _They'll be going back tomorrow, then everything will be back the way it used to be._ She was a few yards away from the stairs when she saw Victoria storming down the stairs with her bag.

"Hey, Victoria, what's up?" Rachel asked the blonde.

"I'm going back to Seattle, that's what's up!" Victoria huffed angrily. "Max and Chloe can go fuck their brains out for all I care!"

"Wait what?" Rachel grabbed the pixie-haired girl by the sleeve.

"Didn't it occur to you for one second why Max _really_ is here all of a sudden?"

"What do you mean?" Rachel asked, even though she knew exactly what Victoria meant.

"Or were you just in denial like me? Clinging to the hope that Max would actually love me, and that this bizarre, unexpected trip would actually be about closure? Well, I certainly learned my lesson!" the taller girl pulled herself free and walked towards the gate, leaving Rachel standing there in shock.

-ooo-

"Trust me, Max," Chloe said to the upset brunette. "I've known Victoria long enough to know that she's always out for number one. Whatever she had in store for you I'm sure that it wasn't in your best interest."

"Victoria got you expelled from Blackwell?" Max asked in disbelief.

"Well, not she alone, but her ratting on me about sabotaging her assignment did add to all of my misdemeanors. Besides, she was really asking for it when she decided to cheat on her chemistry assignment," the punk explained. "Can't help but wonder, how much credit can those two drones Victoria used to hang out with take for her excellent GPA?"

"I don't know about that," Max said. "What I do know is that not once has she resorted to foul play with her studies during the time we've been together."

"Or maybe she's kept it hidden from you."

"M-maybe, I don't know."

"Don't beat yourself up over it, Maxaroni," Chloe said. "Let's concentrate on making your last evening in LA a memorable one. Rachel should be here any minute with the ingredients for the best fajitas south of Arcadia Bay."

"Mmm, I have to admit I am hungry," the hipster said.

"It'll be hella awesome! Just you and me and… Rachel?" Chloe turned to look at the blonde girl who was standing at the door.

"I want that deceitful bitch out of our home right now!" Rachel said, staring sternly at Max.

"Max? But…"

"I know why she is really here!" the hazel-eyed girl continued. "She's come here to steal you from me!"

"What?" Chloe asked incredulously. "Is this true, Max?"

"What? Of course not!" the brunette answered with a dumbfounded look on her face. "I don't know where Rachel got that idea-"

"You have a lot of nerve waltzing in here after all these years and thinking Chloe will leave me for you!" Rachel interrupted Max.

"Oh, look who's talking!" Max was beginning to get worked up about all the accusations. "At least I haven't been having an affair with Frank Bowers behind Chloe's back!"

"What?" Chloe blurted again and cast a questioning look at Rachel.

"That's preposterous!" the blonde retorted. "Come on! Who are you going to believe, your partner, or someone who has ghosted you for five years and has now come to our door out of the blue?"

"Rachel is no good for you! You have to believe me!" Max pleaded.

Chloe looked at both girls in shock. This wasn't what she had in mind when she had thought of the three of them together. She closed her eyes and sighed.

"Max, I'm going to have to ask you to leave," the punk said quietly but firmly.

"What?" Max blurted in shock. "Are you cereal? You can't possibly be taking her word over mine!"

"Yes I can, Max," Chloe said, her voice still steady. "Whatever obsession you have with me, it isn't healthy. You should seek help."

"Chloe, please-"

"Max, out of respect for our friendship, I'm asking you to leave nicely, and I wish you all the best."

The brunette opened her mouth to object, but, realizing it wouldn't help her case, she slumped in defeat and walked to her bag. One by one, she put her belongings into it and walked to the door. For a passing moment, Chloe wanted to stop her, but she gave up on that idea. She watched as the brunette walked out of the apartment and closed the door behind her. Only then did tears begin welling up on her eyes. She never could have thought that their friendship could end like this. Even when Max had been out of her life, she'd never given up hope that they would be reunited one day. Chloe didn't know what could have possibly happened to Max for her to become so obsessed with her that she would try to break her relationship with Rachel, but she hoped the brunette would find her peace.

"I wonder how Max knew about Frank?" Chloe thought aloud.

"Victoria must've gossiped about him," Rachel said. "Wouldn't be the first time."

"Yeah, I suppose…"

"Look, it's better you found out now rather than later when you'd already bonded again."

"I guess you're right."

"I just don't want you to get-" Rachel stopped when her phone chimed. She dug it out and swiped to unlock it. "I'm sorry, babe. I hate to leave you right now, but Alex wants to discuss a possible gig," she said after having read the received message. "Let's talk this through when I get back, okay?"

"OK," Chloe said wistfully. She didn't want to be alone, but she understood that Rachel needed every possible job she could get.

"You're the best! I love you!" Rachel said, placing a kiss on the punk's lips, before heading out the door.

-ooo-

Max sat at a booth of a diner, staring at the almost full coffee mug in front of her. The liquid inside had gone cold ages ago, as Max really didn't have any appetite. She had been sitting at this diner for a few hours now, trying to understand how everything had fallen apart in just a matter of minutes. Victoria had walked out on her, and Chloe had shown her the door. And if that wasn't enough, Max's parents had found out about her and Victoria's little detour. Apparently her parents had installed a LoJack into her Mini. They had decided to check the whereabouts of the car and been less than pleased to find out that it had been in LA. They had called Max directly and demanded she'd return to Seattle immediately. Once she had returned, they would discuss the consequences of her irresponsible act.

Max's eyes were red and swollen from all the crying. Max had no idea how she could possibly fix this. She looked at the photo taken of her in the hockey game. She had tried to focus on it numerous times to no avail. With the exception of that single event when Max had saved Rachel's life, her powers had refused to work. She couldn't rewind her way out of this. She had not planned this. All she had wanted to do was to save Rachel's life, and then go back to continue rekindling her relationship with Chloe. She had saved Rachel, but everything else was in shambles.

Max didn't know what to do. She'd drive back to Seattle, then what? How could she face Victoria after all this? Max had failed to support her at the moment when she needed support the most. Whatever their relationship had been, it had been broken beyond repair. Sure, they might be able to make up somehow, perhaps even continue to be friends, but they would never have the kind of intimacy they'd shared in that hotel room the other night. It was more likely that Victoria would start to treat her the same way she did in Max's own timeline, and to be honest, Max felt she deserved it. Chloe, on the other hand, she felt she had lost for good. There was no point of trying to reach out to her anymore. Rachel had made sure of that with her accusations, which, Max had to admit, weren't completely unfounded. Sure, she had set out to find Chloe in order to get her back, but somewhere along the way, life had decided otherwise. And Max had accepted that. It was just that it didn't seem to matter anymore. The damage had been done and Max would have to live with that.

She took the picture in her hands for another futile attempt to focus on it. She stared at the glossy image and concentrated, but the scene in it refused stubbornly to become alive. _Oh, for fuck's sake!_ she cursed in her thoughts and tossed the photo back on the table. Just then, her phone buzzed. She picked it up and saw a message in the notifications screen.

 **Rachel 10/14/2013 6:13 p.m.: Max, I feel bad about how things went down between us. I would like to talk and straighten things out.**

 **Max 10/14/2013 6:14 p.m.: I'm surprised that you're reaching out to me after the way you told me off.**

 **Rachel 10/14/2013 6:14 p.m.: I jumped to a conclusion based on hearsay. I want to set the record straight. Can we meet?**

 **Rachel 10/14/2013 6:16 p.m.: Max?**

 **Max 10/14/2013 6:16 p.m.: Sure.**

 **Rachel 10/14/2013 6:17 p.m.: I'm not at home atm. I'll send you the address.**

A moment later, Max's phone buzzed with the address. She gathered her things, left a few notes on the table and exited the diner.

-ooo-

"Pick up the goddamned phone, Max!" Victoria huffed and took a frustrated drag from her cigarette. She was standing in the smoking section of one of the LAX terminals. She had arrived at the airport a few hours ago, determined to go back to Seattle. The only flights which had free seats wouldn't leave until later in the evening, so she had been facing some waiting time in the terminal.

The more time Victoria had waited, the more she had begun to regret her behavior towards Max. She had really put the poor girl in a tough position. Max had nothing to do with the feud between Chloe and her. Victoria had no right to demand Max to choose between her friends. At first she had thought about waiting until they were both back in Seattle before trying to reach out to Max. After all, Victoria did still have some dignity left. Ten minutes from that she had made the first phone call.

That was 17 calls ago. Victoria looked at the call log in frustration. Either Max was really mad at her or something had happened. Victoria was slowly beginning to get concerned. She took a final drag from her cigarette before stubbing it out into the ashtray. Victoria walked out from the smoking section and towards her gate. Her flight would start to board within a few minutes. _Stop worrying! She's just giving you the silent treatment and she'll answer your call tomorrow._ She took her boarding pass out. In a few hours she would be back in Seattle. She'd most likely face some repercussions for going to LA without permission, but that she could handle. She'd never forgive herself, though, if something happened to Max when she wasn't with her.

 _You're really going to make me crawl, aren't you, Caulfield?_

When the last call for the American Eagle flight to Seattle was announced, Victoria was already sitting in a cab back to Lincoln Heights.

-ooo-

Chloe parked her car at her designated spot at their apartment parking lot. She'd spent the last hour driving around the neighborhood, hoping that she'd spot Rachel. When Rachel had not returned within a reasonable time nor answered her calls or messages, Chloe had called Alex, only to find out that he had not met or talked with her for a couple of days. _This isn't like her,_ she thought as she stepped out of the car. For a moment Chloe thought that Rachel was still upset about the whole episode with Max and taking time to herself, but now the punk was beginning to get worried. She was also beginning to regret that she had sent Max out into the night like that. That had been a brash decision made in an upset state of mind. _Well, Max is all grown up. She'll book herself into a motel or something. I'll call her tomorrow. Maybe we can patch things up somehow._

Chloe walked towards the apartment. She'd grab a bite to eat and then go on another round. She was so deep in her thoughts that she almost didn't see that someone was sitting at the beginning of the stairs.

"Victoria!" Chloe exclaimed when she recognized the pixie-haired girl. "What are you doing here?"

"I- I came back for Max," the blonde explained humbly.

"But Max isn't here," Chloe said. "We… we had a falling-out."

"What?"

"Rachel came and accused Max of trying to steal me from her. That… didn't go too well and I told Max to leave."

"Oh…" Victoria gasped. "I… may have contributed to that."

"What do you mean?"

"After our… quarrel, I bumped into Rachel, and I might've said things that may have added to whatever doubts Rachel may have had of Max."

"Well, figures you'd have your hand in that."

"Oh yeah?" the blonde retorted. "If it wasn't for your provocation…" Victoria started but calmed down. "Look, I haven't been able to get in touch with Max. She's not answering my calls or messages. I thought she'd still be here."

"What? Are you saying that Max has gone missing too?" Chloe interrupted her. "I haven't been able to get in touch with Rachel. She didn't return from her meeting and it turned out that she never went where she said she would go."

"Who was she going to meet?"

"Alex Woodward, a photographer and the director of an advertising agency. But when I called him he said he hasn't talked to Rachel for a few days."

"I wonder…" the blonde said, looking thoughtful.

"What? Spit it out!"

"We met earlier today with Mark Jefferson," Victoria said. "Rachel told us that Mark and she had talked about doing a portfolio together."

"Jefferson? That teacher at Blackhell?" Chloe asked frantically. "He's in LA now? Why hasn't Rachel told me about him?"

"She said she wanted to surprise you," the blonde said. "She may have had a meeting with Mark. He might know where she is."

"Can you remember where his studio is?"

"I have the location stored in my phone – for future reference."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's take my car!"

"But I have to find Max!" Victoria objected.

"Look, if you help me find Rachel, I'll help you find Max," Chloe offered.

"Very well. Let's go then."

Chloe lead Victoria to her car. She stopped a few yards short when she saw a figure leaning on the trunk.

"Look, dude! I'm gonna need you to haul your ass-" Chloe began but stopped upon recognizing the man.

"Found you," Frank Bowers said, smirking.

 **To be continued...**

* * *

 **A/N: Welcome back! First of all, my sincere apologies! It's been almost five months since the last update. I knew this chapter was going to be a tough one, but I didn't expect it to be this tough. There were tough plot twists to tackle, and on top of that I had writer's block and lack of time. Anyhow here it is. I'm relatively happy with it and I hope you are too.  
**

 **Thanks to Crowthorne for straightening up my grammar! I seem to make the same mistakes over and over again, at least that's how I feel. Also thanks to Lyta Halifax who helped to made the plot twists logical and at least remotely plausible.**

 **Please keep the reviews coming! It's always great to hear your thoughts about a chapter.**

 **As you can see, this story is closing its end. I suspect there will be one or two chapters left, depending how many words I can get in, before I hit one cliffhanger. Hopefully the next chapter won't take this long.**


	11. Everything Goes Back to The Beginning 1

**October 14, 2013, 9:12 p.m.**

"Max?"

 _Uggh! I feel sick! Why is the room spinning? Why can't I think straight! Did someone call my name? Is that my name?_

"Max!"

 _Why is everything so dark and blurry? Where am I? What happened? Is that Rachel? What is she doing here?_

"R-Rachel?" Max slurred. _Why does my speech sound weird?_ She blinked her eyes a few times to focus her gaze. She seemed to be lying on a concrete floor. Rachel was lying a couple of feet away from her. The blonde's hands and feet appeared to be tied together with duct tape. Max tried to move her own hand, only to find that her hand and feet were tied together too.

"Max, you're awake!" the hazel-eyed girl exclaimed. Her eyes were red and swollen. She had been crying.

"W-where are we?" the hipster asked, trying to get a grasp of her surroundings. "I-, I remember going meeting you at that parking lot you instructed, and then…" She tried to remember but everything since that moment was blank, until now.

"This is Jefferson's studio, his dark room to be precise," Rachel explained, sniffling. "He drugged you and brought you here."

"He drugged me…?" Max repeated, her voice fading until she realized. "You set me up!" she said angrily.

"I'm so sorry!" Rachel said, her voice trembling. "He made me! I had no choice. He said he would kill me if I hadn't called you. I-, I never wanted you to…" She burst into tears.

"Killed you? Mr. Jefferson?" the brunette asked in disbelief. "What the fuck is going on? What does he want with us?"

"I-I'm not s-sure," the blonde managed say between sniffles. "He's been taking pictures of you when you've been out. He's been photographing me too. H-he didn't drug me like he did you, although I almost w-wish he had."

"P-pictures…?" Max thought out loud, trying to make sense of what she had just heard. "Oh my god!" she gasped when all the pieces of the puzzle suddenly clicked into place. "The dark room under the Prescott barn, the red binders. It was Mr. Jefferson all along!"

"W-what?" Rachel asked, not following the hipster's line of thought.

"Nathan wasn't the one who captured and took pictures of those girls from Blackwell. It was Mr. Jefferson!"

"I-it wasn't Nathan? B-but what about all the evidence? N-Nathan was found in the dark room."

"Mr. Jefferson must've set him up."

"Y-you mean he…"

"…killed Nathan? I think so, yeah."

"Bravo, Ms. Caulfield!" a voice said behind them, startling both girls. Max turned her head to see Mark Jefferson looming in the doorway, with an eerie smirk on his face. He had the sleeves of his shirt rolled up and he was wearing vinyl gloves on his hands. "Brightly deducted!"

"Mr. Jefferson!" the brunette gasped. The man had snuck up on them while they had been talking. "How long…?"

"…have I been listening?" the photographer completed. "From the very moment you came to, my dear. Take a look over my shoulder." He turned his head towards the corner of the room, close to the ceiling. There was a surveillance camera pointed at them. "I can see and hear everything that happens in this room."

"You…"

"Nathan was a useful asset in many ways," Mark admitted. "The kid was so desperate for a father figure that he'd do anything for the tiniest amount of care and affection. He was like clay that I could mold to my liking. Through him, I had access to the Prescott fortune, which helped me to pursue my own goals. And in the end, he made a perfect scapegoat."

"Those girls…" Max said out loud upon realizing. "But, why?"

"Oh, Maxine… I hope you don't mind me calling you Maxine." A satisfied smirk rose on Mark's face as he saw Max's disapproving expression. "During my career, I've photographed hundreds of people, one model after another, only to draw one conclusion."

"What's that?"

"They're all fake!" the man snapped furiously. "They all pretend to be something that they're not! They have lost their innocence! It took me years to realize that."

"So you started pursuing young girls instead," the brunette remarked, her tone going huskier as the shock began to give room to contempt.

"Exactly! I wanted to capture that moment when innocence turns into corruption, to see how the desperation consumes their souls." He paused for a moment, as if doing assessment on his achievements. "Still, the perfect subject seemed to evade me."

Max couldn't believe what she was hearing. The esteemed photographer that she had admired and looked up to was a deranged, obsessed psychopath. Sure, Mark Jefferson had been aloof and slightly egotistic by nature but Max could've never imagined that he was capable of kidnapping and murder.

"You were different, Rachel," Jefferson continued. "Although you were hardly innocent, I couldn't get a grasp of your true nature. I had planned to find it out at our agreed session last spring, but then that idiot, David Madsen, discovered my dark room. Luckily, the fool didn't realize I had the premises under surveillance. I had just enough time to put my exit strategy in motion. Too bad about Nathan, though. I had high hopes of him."

 _Surveillance!_ The only thing about Jefferson's rambling that had any significance to Max. _Jefferson would have known that Chloe and I discovered the dark room!_ _We would've walked straight into his hands!_

"I am glad that I got a second chance with you," Mark said to Rachel, making the blonde shiver in disgust. "Our session revealed… interesting aspects about you."

"You sick bastard!" the hazel-eyed girl hissed back, but Max could see there was no fervor in her eyes to back her words. Jefferson had broken her spirit.

"Besides, you came with a bonus," the photographer continued and turned his attention back to Max. "You shall be my masterpiece, Maxine. You are the perfect subject I have been looking for. I saw it the moment you first walked into my studio." The look in his eyes was devoid of any sign of humanity. All that was left was desire bordering on absolute obsession.

"W-what will happen to us?" Max asked, even though she could imagine what Jefferson had in store for them.

"You're a smart girl, Maxine," the man said. "I guess you realize by now that I can't leave you alive. You know too much. Fortunately for me, Rachel told me about your little quarrel regarding her girlfriend. Something along the lines of murder-suicide might work just fine. Just need to get my hands into Rachel's girlfriend. Shouldn't be too hard to make it look like that you, Maxine, went back to Rachel and her girlfriend's apartment, murdered them, and then killed yourself. It's almost terrifying, how easy it is to get a firearm in LA." He paused for a sardonic grin. "You'll be famous, Maxine, although not in the way you might've imagined."

The brunette gasped in shock. Despair was beginning to take hold of her. Not only had she failed to save Rachel's life, but Chloe would die too. Without her powers, Max saw no way out of this. Chloe didn't know where to look for them. The only person who might have a clue of their whereabouts was probably half way back to Seattle right now.

"But look at me!" Mark suddenly exclaimed. "Here I am, talking, when we should get started with our session, Maxine. Let me go fill up a syringe, so that we can get you in the right mood-" He stopped, as his phone chirped. He took his phone and looked at it momentarily. "Looks like we have to push the beginning of our session just a little bit further, while I deal with a couple of surprise guests." He walked out of the dark room.

"It must be Chloe and Victoria!" Max whispered to Rachel, when the door had closed. "We have to warn them!"

"How?" the hazel-eyed girl asked. "We're both tied up and we have no idea what's going on."

Max concentrated again, trying to rewind time. Maybe she could distract Jefferson somehow. Try as she might, her powers stubbornly refused to work. _Oh, for fuck's sake! Chloe and Victoria are walking right into a trap and I can't do anything about it!_

-ooo-

 **Earlier…**

"Thought I wouldn't find you?" Frank Bowers sounded triumphant as he sneered at Chloe, who just stared back at him, aghast. Victoria had crossed paths with the drug dealer on a few occasions when she'd still studied at Blackwell. The fact that Chloe might have a beef with Frank didn't exactly surprise the pixie-haired girl, but his unexpected appearance couldn't possibly be timed worse.

"Frank!" the punk gasped in shock. "How the hell did you find us?"

"You can thank miss fancy-pants here," the drug dealer cast a glance at Victoria. "She and her mousy friend weren't exactly subtle when they were looking for you in Arcadia Bay."

"Figures." Chloe cast a scowl at the other girl. "Look, Frank, as much I'd love to catch up, but miss fancy-pants and I are kinda in a middle of something here, so…" she stepped forward, but Frank got on her way, pulling his knife.

"Not so fast," Frank said, pointing the blade at the punk. "You and I got a debt to settle. You think you could pull a fast one on me and get away with it? Well, think again!"

"Frank, I was going to pay you back as soon as we'd got settled and I had saved up the money," Chloe tried to plead. "Can we discuss this tomorrow, because we really need to get going."

"Yeah, sure," the man said sardonically. "You're not going anywhere!"

"How much does she owe you?" Victoria had followed the conversation quietly, but now she was beginning to get impatient.

"You stay out of this. It's none of your business." Frank turned his blade at the blonde, but Victoria stood her ground.

"Right now you're the one thing keeping me from finding the person that means everything to me, so I'm going to make it my business," Victoria said, staring the drug dealer sternly into his eyes. "How much?"

"Um, three grand plus interest," Frank answered, having lost some of his bravado.

Victoria dug out her wallet. "I have three hundred in cash, and I can write a check for the rest. You know I'm good for it," she said, handing the wad of cash towards the man. "What do you say?"

The drug dealer stared first at the blonde and then at the bills in her hand, contemplating a moment, before he took the money. "OK, write a check for three grand and we're cool."

Without hesitation, the blonde took out her checkbook and a pen, and wrote a check for the said amount. She carefully tore the check off the book and handed it to Frank, who took it, inspected the amount, and put it in his jacket pocket with the cash.

"I don't know what to say, Victoria," Chloe said bemusedly. "Thank you!"

"You can pay me back, Price," the pixie-haired girl said impatiently. "Now, can we please concentrate on finding Max and Rachel?"

"Wait a second!" Frank interrupted them. "Has Rachel gone missing?"

"What do you care?" Chloe asked, scowling.

"Of course I…" the man began, then his eyes grew wide as he realized. "Rachel hasn't told you, has she?"

"Told me what?" the punk asked, lifting her eyebrow.

"Rachel and I were together for a while before you two left Arcadia Bay."

"What?" Chloe blurted in disbelief. "You're lying!"

"Come on, you know me well enough that I wouldn't lie about this kind of thing," Frank remarked. "I thought you guys were through when Rachel started hanging out with me. You know I wouldn't have gotten between you two."

"Rachel said she needed some time and space to herself. She didn't tell me why, though," Chloe said, still in shock from the revelation. "Do you know?" she looked questioningly at the man.

"It's not my place to tell," Frank answered. "You'll have to ask Rachel."

"Come on!" Chloe said more sternly. "I need to understand!"

"Stop! You're not gonna backtalk that out of me." Frank crossed his arms." You'll need to hear it from Rachel herself."

"Did you know about all this?" The punk turned to look at Victoria in anger and frustration.

"What do you think?" the blonde answered scornfully. "Of course I knew."

"Well, that's just fan-fucking-tastic!" Chloe huffed. "Even my childhood friend that I've not seen in five years knows that my girlfriend has been cheating on me before I do!"

"What do you mean?" Victoria asked, flabbergasted.

"Are you saying you didn't let Max in on your gossip?" Chloe asked sardonically.

"No! Why the hell would I let Max in on something that might eventually lead to Max being with you instead of me?"

"Well, that I can believe," the punk sneered.

"I'm in love with Max! She is the only good thing in my life!" Victoria said in frustration. "You might think I don't deserve her, and you're maybe right, but Max really makes me to want to be a better person, and I'd do anything to be worthy of her."

"Wow, you really are in this for real," Chloe said, apparently convinced by Victoria's outburst. "But if you didn't tell Max that Rachel's been with Frank, then how did she know?"

"Your guess is as good as mine, but I really think we go got more pressing matters right now than speculating how Max knew about Rachel and Frank."

"You're right," the punk admitted. "Let's get going! You with us, Frank?"

"Hell yeah I'm with you!" the drug dealer said. "Just try to keep me away."

-ooo-

"We're here," Chloe said as she parked her Crown Vic next in front of the industrial building. The parking spaces were vacant, save for a shiny Rolls-Royce that didn't seem to fit in with its surroundings.

"That's Jefferson's car," Victoria remarked. "No sign of Max's Mini, though."

"Well, I guess we might as well go and ask him," the punk said, turning the ignition off and opening the driver's door.

"Is there another way in?" Frank asked as he stepped out of the back seat.

"The loading dock around the corner," Victoria answered. "Why?"

"You girls take the front door. I'm gonna look around," the drug dealer said.

"Why? You think something's wrong?" Chloe asked.

"Nah, probably not," Frank reassured. "It's just that in my line of business, you make a habit of covering your bases. I'll see you back at the car," he said as he began walking towards the corner.

"I hope Rachel's here, or this Jefferson guy can at least tell us where she went," Chloe said to Victoria as they walked towards the front door.

"Max is not here, and she's still not answering her phone," Victoria said despondently, putting her phone away for the umpteenth time.

"Don't worry, we'll find her and sort things out," Chloe said reassuringly. "I owe her an apology. Rachel, on the other hand, I need to have a serious talk with."

"I owe Max an apology too," the pixie-haired girl said. "I was acting stupid, jealous and childish. I guess we need to have a serious discussion too."

"For what it's worth," Chloe said as they got to the main door, "I don't know how Max feels about me these days, but I can see that she cares for you deeply." She let out a sigh. "I had a crush on Max when we were younger, but life decided otherwise. I'm just glad she's back in my life."

"I'm glad she found you," Victoria admitted. "I don't know if you and I will ever get along but I'm going to make sure she never loses touch with you again."

"I'd appreciate that," the punk said as she pressed the button on the intercom.

"Yes?" a man's voice asked almost immediately.

"Mark, it's Victoria Chase," the blonde said into the microphone. "I'm with Rachel's girlfriend. Is Rachel there?"

"No, but she was here earlier," Mark answered. "Please, come inside, so we can talk."

Chloe pulled the door open as soon as it unlocked and the girls stepped inside. Victoria led the way as they walked into the corridor and to the door of Jefferson's studio. The door was ajar so they stepped right in. The room was dim, except for the whitewall that was illuminated by the spotlights. There was no sign of the man who had let them in, though.

"Hello!" Chloe called as she tried look around in the dimness. A thud from behind her made her turn and she saw Victoria lying on the floor limp and unconscious. A bearded man wearing glasses stood behind her with an empty syringe in one hand and a gun that was pointing towards Chloe in the other.

"Don't make any fast moves, my dear," the man said. "A bullet hole in your forehead wouldn't exactly be a decoration on your face."

"You're… Jefferson?" Chloe asked, dumbfounded.

"Correct, and you must be Chloe Price," Jefferson confirmed. "Rachel has told a great deal about you."

"What have you done to her?" the punk asked, her voice and expression going sterner as she drew the conclusion.

"Oh, we've had the most fruitful photo session together," the man said tauntingly. "Rachel's a natural before the camera, but you must already know that."

"You fucking-" Chloe took one furious step forward, but stopped as Jefferson pointed his gun at her head.

"Rachel's fine for the time being, but it depends completely on your behavior," Mark said. "Now, if you'll pick up Miss Chase here, I can take you to Rachel and your other friend."

"Other friend…? Max!" Chloe's emotions were in turmoil as she picked up the blonde's limp body on her arms. On one hand she was glad that they had located Max, on the other hand she felt desperation over the fact that the brunette was also in the hands of this psycho that was holding her at gunpoint.

"Also Miss Caulfield's well-being depends on your co-operation," Jefferson remarked as he pointed the punk towards the dark room.

Chloe's brain worked overtime as she tried to come up with a solution to get them out of this alive. _I wonder where Frank is right now,_ she thought, although she didn't put much hope on the drug dealer. For all she knew, he might be on his way to Arcadia Bay. Frank had saved her ass once, but that had been a different Frank, not the indifferent drug dealer he'd become. _Besides, this isn't just another thug at a burnt-down sawmill. This bastard must have a top notch surveillance system here._

Jefferson kept his gun and eyes strictly pointed at Chloe as he opened the dark room door for her. He stepped aside and let her enter the room first. Unlike the rest of the studio, the dark room was lit. Her spirits went up as she saw Rachel and Max lying on the floor, tied up.

"Rachel! Max!" the punk exclaimed. "Are you guys OK?"

"Chloe!" the brunette responded. "Yeah, we're OK, more or less."

Rachel didn't say anything. Instead, she just looked away, ashamed.

"What's with Victoria?" Max asked concernedly.

"I don't know. This douchebag here injected her with something."

"Just a small dose of sedative," Jefferson said as he pushed Chloe further inside. "Miss Chase will be with us soon enough. And Miss Price, I'd suggest you'd watch your language, if you want what's best for your friends."

"Don't listen to him, Chloe!" Max said sternly. "He's planning to kill us all."

"Why you-" Chloe turned to face Jefferson, only to find herself facing the barrel of his gun.

"I had planned to save your killing for later, in order to set it up properly, but I really only need Max alive at this point," Jefferson said, cocking the hammer. "Any last words?"

"Yeah, don't move," the punk said, grinning as she saw Frank sneaking up behind the photographer and sliding a stiletto blade up against his throat.

"Don't move?" Jefferson asked, dumbfounded, before realizing his situation.

"I'd heed the lady's advice," the drug dealer said as he pressed the blade firmer against the photographer's throat. "Now, hand the gun over, slowly!"

"How… How did you get past my surveillance system?" Jefferson asked, flabbergasted as he gave the gun to Frank.

"That junk you can buy from China?" Frank sneered as he stepped back and pointed the gun at the other man. "I've bypassed more complex security systems than that. Funny how a guy with a Rolls, and photography equipment that costs more than I make in a year, goes cheap on security. Well, I guess you have to save on something."

"I thought I'd never be saying this, but I'm glad to see you, Frank," Chloe said to the man as she lowered Victoria to the floor.

"Yeah, well, I'll just put it on your tab, Price," Frank grumbled. "Are you girls all right? Rachel?"

"F-Frank?" the hazel-eyed girl asked timidly. "W-what are you doing here?"

"It doesn't matter now," the drug dealer said. "You're safe, that's what matters."

"Let's get you out of those ties," Chloe said, opening the stiletto that Frank had tossed to her and crouched to cut first Max's ties and then Rachel's.

"We need to call the police and an ambulance!" Max said as she knelt down to check up on Victoria.

"Yeah, in a sec," Chloe said as she wrapped her arms around Rachel. "Are you all right, babe?"

"Y-you're not mad at me?" the smaller blonde asked, her eyes averting Chloe's.

"Hella mad," the punk said, cupping Rachel's cheeks and smiling to her. "But right now, I'm just happy to see you." She placed a kiss on the hazel-eyed girl's lips.

"Hey, Price!" Chloe heard Frank saying. "How about helping me to bag and tag this clown, so you can call the cops?"

"Sure thing!" Chloe stood up and reached for the duct tape on the desk. Just as she grabbed the roll, the floor under her feet and the walls around her began to shake violently, accompanied by a loud rumble.

"W-what is happening, Chloe?" Max asked frantically.

"I-it's an earthquake!" the punk answered.

Jefferson saw his opportunity and charged against Frank, tackling him down on the floor and trying to pry the gun from the drug dealer's hand. Chloe rushed to help Frank, but she had time to take only couple of steps before everything went dark.

A single gunshot rang out above the rumbling.

 **To be concluded...**

* * *

 **A/N: Didn't let you off the hook just yet, did I? I had one cliffhanger left that was just too good to be left unused. On the bright side, you didn't have to wait five months for an update. The next chapter, however, will be the concluding chapter. All things will be wrapped up and we're gonna reach the end, whatever it will be.**

 **Thank you again for the reviews! It is always a pleasure to read them.**

 **Thanks also to Crowthorne for beta reading and to Lyta Halifax for bouncing some thoughts back and forth!**

 **See you in the last chapter!**


	12. Everything Goes Back to The Beginning 2

**October 14, 2013, 10:09 p.m.**

Everything was pitch-dark. The rumbling had stopped, but the crackle of flames, random explosions, cries, and sirens could be heard in the distance. The air was filled with dust, making it hard to breathe without coughing. Max tried to squint her eyes in order to see, but the darkness was impenetrable. She felt that someone was lying next to her on the floor and assumed it to be Victoria, as she had been seeing to the blonde, when the earthquake had started. "Victoria?" Max tried to call her but got no response. Anxious, she felt the other girl's body, and was relieved to find a steady pulse on her neck. _Thank god, she's alive! She must be still unconscious from the drug Jefferson injected into her._

"Max?" Chloe shouted from a few feet away.

"Chloe?" the brunette called back.

"Here, Max!" The punk flicked her Zippo on, illuminating herself and her immediate surroundings. She appeared to be partially buried under a fallen shelf. Based on the faint light shed by the lighter, the light wall separating the dark room from the rest of the space had at least partially collapsed, and there was a lot of debris on the floor. Max couldn't see Rachel, Frank or Jefferson.

"Where's Rachel?" Max asked.

"I'm here," the blonde responded from under the pile of rubble next to Chloe. "My foot seems to be stuck."

"Are you and Victoria OK, Max?" Chloe asked, shifting her position, careful not to make the debris collapse more.

"I think so, yeah. Victoria's still out of it," the hipster answered. "Where are Frank and Jefferson?"

"I'm not sure. They were struggling right outside the room when the lights went out."

"W-what just happened?" Max asked, trying to grasp the situation.

"It was an earthquake," Chloe answered. "We had one a few months back, but it was a small tremor compared to this. This was fucking colossal," she said as she looked around at their surroundings. "This must've been the big one they've been talking about."

"Big one?"

"Seismologists say that California's long overdue for an earthquake the level of the one that ruined San Francisco back in 1906, although I think this one might've been even bigger."

Even in a dire situation like this, Max couldn't help but smile at the fact that under her punk look and rebellious nature, Chloe Price was an intelligent and knowledgeable young woman.

"Well, things at least sound pretty serious based on all the noise on the outside," Max admitted. She thought about the apocalyptic vision she'd had when they had arrived. _We averted the tornado but the earthquake hit us. Am I some kind of harbinger of disasters?_ "What are we going to do now?

"We should get out of this building," the punk answered. "The aftershocks might collapse the building on us." She looked around and let out a victorious gasp when she saw a flashlight on one of the desks. "Max, can you get to that desk and grab that flashlight?"

"I can try…" Max stood up, and slowly made her way through the rubble to the desk pointed by the other girl. "Got it!" she said, grabbing the flashlight and flicking it on.

"Great! Now, come here and help me see if we can get Rachel loose," the punk instructed.

Carefully, lighting her path with the flashlight, Max made it to Chloe and Rachel, who were both lying under the fallen shelf. Chloe was lucky, as some of the other debris was supporting the weight of the shelf where she was, but Rachel seemed to have her foot stuck between one corner of the shelf and some other rubble.

"OK, I think we can get you loose, if we lift up the shelf from this edge," Max said to the blonde. "Chloe, will you give me a hand?"

Chloe crawled out from the pocket and stood up. She and Max positioned themselves on one side of the shelf, and took a firm grip on the edge. "OK, once we lift, you need to get clear from under this thing, 'cause there's no telling what will happen when we let go," the punk instructed Rachel.

"Got it," the hazel-eyed girl complied.

"Ready? On three… One, two, three!" Max and Chloe pulled the shelf up. It was considerably heavier than it looked. Max grimaced and growled as she tensed all her muscles to keep the heavy piece of furniture lifted. "Now, Rachel!" Chloe huffed between breaths.

The blonde did not need to be told twice, as she pulled herself free and crawled out. "OK, I'm clear!" she shouted. A fraction of a second later, the other girls let go, and the shelf fell back, making the debris that was supporting it collapse and fill the pocket where Chloe and Rachel had been just moments ago.

"Are you OK, babe?" the punk asked as she knelt down to her partner.

"I… I think so," Rachel answered, wincing slightly when she tried to move her ankle.

"Let me have a look at it," Chloe said, and felt the other girl's ankle gently. "I think it's just bruised."

Max watched quietly as Chloe tended to Rachel's injury. _Rachel's kept so many secrets from Chloe. I wonder if they'll be able to work out their issues._ \- The brunette left the girls alone and returned to Victoria. The pixie-haired girl was still lying on the floor, eyes closed, chest rising and falling as she breathed in and out. "Victoria? Vic?" Max called the other girl's name, nudging her gently.

"Mmhhh…" the blonde groaned, cracking her eyes slightly open.

"Victoria!" the hipster exclaimed, relieved. "You're awake!"

"W-what happened?" Victoria asked groggily. "Why is it dark and why all the sirens and racket?"

"Jefferson drugged you with something, and… we're not sure. There was an earthquake. That caused the power outage. We have no idea how bad the situation is outside, but judging from the damage inside, it can't be good."

"An earthquake?" The blonde's grogginess was swept away, as if she'd never been drugged in the first place. "Are you guys OK?"

"More or less, yeah," Max answered. "Rachel's got a bruised ankle but that's it."

"What about Frank, and Jefferson?"

"We don't know. They got into a scuffle just before the lights went out. There was one gunshot, and then nothing."

Just then, a painful groan was heard from outside of the room. "Frank!" Rachel exclaimed, being the first to recognize the drug dealer's voice.

"Rachel?" the man grunted, panting arduously.

"Max, shine the light over there!" Chloe instructed, pointing towards the doorway.

The brunette pointed the beam towards that direction, and she could see a leather jacket-clad arm waving from behind the rubble. Max gasped in shock, as she saw that the waving hand was almost completely covered in blood. "He's hurt!"

"Keep the light pointed there while we go to him," Chloe said, and helped Rachel up. "Can you walk?"

"I think so," the hazel-eyed girl answered, grimacing slightly from the jolt of pain as she put weight on her injured leg.

Max kept lighting the way as the two girls made their way to the injured man. She wondered what had happened to Jefferson, as there was still no sign of the photographer. _Did he get out of the building, of is he lying there somewhere under the rubble?_

"Yo, Max! Come over here!" Chloe shouted. "We need someone to hold the light while we try to lift this thing."

"Will you be OK?" Max asked Victoria.

"Sure, go ahead," the blonde answered.

The brunette walked through the rubble to where the other girls were. Frank was there, lying under a fallen cabinet. He was bleeding and clearly in pain, based on his dolorous expression. His breathing was shallow and labored, and his eyes were glazed. Chloe fussed over him in order to get Frank free from under the cabinet, but somehow Max already knew there was little more for them to do than to make his last moments a little bearable.

"Max, are you listening to me?" Chloe asked frantically, snapping the hipster out of her thoughts. "Give the flashlight to Rachel, and help me to get this cabinet off of him!"

"Uh, sure," Max responded, and handed the flashlight to the blonde.

"OK, you take that corner, and I'll take this one. There should be enough room to get it back upright," the punk instructed. "On three… One, two, THREE!"

Max pushed with her legs to get the cabinet high enough so that she could begin to push it with her arms. The cabinet was heavy, but with Chloe doing her part on the other corner, they managed to raise it into the upright position. As soon as the cabinet was out of the way, Rachel knelt down beside the injured man, who was now breathing slightly easier.

"Frank?" the blonde asked concernedly, wiping the debris off his face.

"Ray, is that you, baby?" Frank asked weakly.

"Yeah, it's me," Rachel confirmed. "Don't try to talk, we need to stop your bleeding!"

"Don't bother-" He paused to let out a bloody cough. "This is the end of the line for me." Another fit of coughs. "What happened to Jefferson?"

"We don't know. There's no sign-"

"Here!" Chloe interrupted Rachel. "I think I found him!"

Max took the flashlight from Rachel and walked to the punk. She was standing next to a concrete slab that had fallen from the ceiling. A pair of feet was sticking out from under the slab.

"Whoa! You think he's dead?" Max asked.

"Dunno, but I'm sure as hell not gonna waste my energy trying to find out," Chloe said dismissively.

Max looked at the pair of feet that belonged to the man she had looked up to, and turned out to be a murderous psychopath. A shiver ran down her spine when she thought about the photos he had taken of her while she had been unconscious. With Jefferson's equipment buried under the rubble, the evidence of the shoot was beyond her reach, and she thought maybe it was better that way.

"Eat shit and rot," Max addressed the immobile feet, before she turned her attention back to Frank and Rachel.

"I'm sorry about… how things went between us," Frank said quietly to the blonde between breaths.

"I'm sorry too, Frank." Rachel answered. "You deserved a better girlfriend than I was."

"Don't worry about it, kid. I… knew what type of… relationship we had." Another fit of painful coughs. "Would you do me… one last favor?"

"Anything."

"Take care of… Pompidou, would you?"

"Of course."

"Appreciate it. He always liked you..." The last words faded away, and he closed his eyes.

Rachel didn't say anything. She just sat there, as tears began running down her face.

"Hey, Price…" Frank croaked, opening his eyes once more, and addressing the punk, who had stood there stoically.

"Yeah, Frank?"

"I free you from your debt," he said with a smirk. With that, he let out his last breath.

Max couldn't help her eyes welling, as she watched the two girls weeping silently over their lost friend. Her own encounters with Frank Bowers had not been the most pleasant ones, but she understood that beneath the rough surface, there was a more complex person.

"OK, we need to get out of this building, and find a safer spot to figure out what to do next!" Chloe said eventually. "Victoria, can you walk?"

"I think so," the pixie-haired girl responded.

"Good! You and Rachel stay behind while Max and I find out a safe path out of here. You with me, Maxaroni?"

"Sure," the brunette answered.

-ooo-

Chloe was a mixed bag of emotions as she helped Rachel walk through the debris and burning cars that were packing the streets. Within the last 24 hours, Chloe's world had been turned upside down. First her childhood friend and her teenage crush had appeared on her doorstep out of the blue after five years, then she'd found out that her partner had been cheating on her with their mutual friend, and apparently also with her teacher. As if that hadn't been enough, both her friend and her partner had been kidnapped by said teacher, and their mutual friend had died in the process of freeing them. Add a city-levelling natural disaster into the mix, and you got the emotional wreck that Chloe was right now.

They'd been on the move for almost an hour now. The city once associated with angels, was now a mass of burning ruins. Distant sounds of cries and sirens could be heard through the crackling sound of burning and crumbling. A few helicopters could be seen roaming the skies between the plumes of smoke. Most of the vehicles, including Chloe's own, were wrecked by the collapsed buildings, and even if they'd found an intact car, it would've been impossible to drive as the streets were packed with debris and running people.

From the ground level, it was impossible to evaluate the full extent of the damage, but even based on what she could see, Chloe was able to determine that this was the big one. This was the quake that had been looming like the Damocles' sword over California since the San Francisco earthquake in 1906. Still, what she was witnessing exceeded her wildest imaginations. Chloe had told Rachel on numerous occasions how she wanted to drop a bomb on her old home town, Arcadia Bay and turn it into glass. Now, she felt that fate was playing a cruel joke on her wish.

They found a relatively obstacle-free path that lead up on the Hollywood hill. Most of the letters belonging to the landmark sign had collapsed, leaving only the letters 'H', 'O', 'L' and 'Y' standing. _Holy indeed,_ Chloe thought as she looked at the remaining letters. She turned to look at Rachel, who was holding her hand, and Max and Victoria, who were coming a few steps behind them. They all looked weary and discouraged. They all had gone through hell but they were alive, that was what mattered. They all needed rest, however, and a suitable spot for that was just ahead of them. They arrived to a vantage point that offered a view over the city.

"Let's catch our breath for a moment and think about our next move," Chloe said to the others. Max and Victoria took a seat on the bench while Chloe joined Rachel at the railing. The setting reminded her of a similar one, from what felt like an eternity ago. The view that opened before them was somewhat different, though. Even though Chloe was looking at it with her own eyes, she had a hard time believing in what she was seeing.

The silhouette of downtown Los Angeles was a torn, ragged travesty of what it used to be. Fires were burning all over the city, filling the sky with smoke. The most significant thing, though, was the rift that had split the downtown area half. Going relatively straight from Topanga to Long Beach the street-wide rift glowed in all shades of amber, illuminating the nightly sky, as it was filled with molten lava. The scene could be described with only one word: apocalyptic. Chloe could only begin to imagine how many victims the catastrophe had claimed. Still, the effects of the earthquake seemed surprisingly, some might even say unnaturally, isolated. Looking further south the fires and smoke plumes were practically nonexistent. Same applied to east and north, leaving just Los Angeles, and its neighboring counties as the single victim of this freaky phenomenon. _Weird, the effects of an earthquake of this magnitude should've been more widespread,_ the punk thought, bewildered.

"Wherever we go, we seem to leave smoldering ruins behind us," Rachel said.

Chloe couldn't help a short smile at the irony of the remark, despite the severity of the situation. Her expression went serious, however, as she turned to look at her partner, who stared wistfully at the desolate scene. "Rachel…?"

"Yes?" the blonde turned to face Chloe, the expression in the hazel eyes revealing that she already knew what the conversation would be about.

"Why?"

"Why did I sleep with Frank? Why I went to bed with Jefferson?" There was less penitence in Rachel's voice than Chloe had expected. "Remember what you used to have written on your room wall, 'Everyone lies, no exceptions'?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"I used to think that you were the exception, until I found out you weren't," Rachel said, a hint of disappointment in her voice. "Why did you lie to me about Sera?"

Rachel's question got the punk completely off guard, her reaction a clear indication of admitting guilt. "Y-you knew?"

"I didn't at first. I didn't found out until a year later, when Frank, high as a kite, told what had actually happened that day at the mill. How he saved both you and Sera from Damon Merrick."

Chloe was loss for words. Of course she remembered how Frank had appeared at the last possible moment and taken on Merrick. Frank had never told of the outcome, and Chloe had never asked, but she knew. Frank had been a changed man after that. Chloe had just wanted to leave that day behind her, so she had never really spared much thought to the fact she wasn't the only one who knew what had actually happened.

"You want to know why?" Rachel asked. "I was angry and disappointed about yet another person that I thought I could trust lying to me. I wanted to get even, and Frank was there." She looked shyly away. "It was supposed to be just that one time. I never intended it to become serious, but then I realized how well things clicked between Frank and me. I wanted to do right by you, and end it between us, but… I just couldn't."

"Why couldn't you?"

"I don't know. Maybe I still had feelings for you. Maybe I realized how big a blow our break-up would've been to you, and despite everything, I couldn't find it in myself to do it to you."

"How did Jefferson fit into all this?" Chloe asked, her emotions fluctuating between anger and self-contempt. She felt betrayed, but at the same time remorseful. She'd lost count of the times when she'd second-guessed herself about her decision not tell Rachel about Sera. Now the truth was out in the open, and she'd have to face the consequences.

"Well, Frank grew tired of waiting for me to end things with you," Rachel explained. "We got into a fight over it one night, and things got heated. By that time, Mark had already begun to teach at Blackwell. I saw an opportunity to get a good start on my modeling career, so I ended things with Frank, and began flirting with Mark." She turned to face Chloe again. "This time I wasn't going to keep you lingering. I'd written a letter for you, in which I was going to end our relationship. I never got to deliver it, though, as the whole thing with Nathan went down, and Mark left Arcadia Bay right after that. It wasn't until a couple of days ago, when Mark contacted me and offered to do the shoot. I never realized his true intentions." Rachel covered her eyes and began weeping.

Chloe took the crying girl into her embrace and held her. As much as she wanted to be angry at Rachel for cheating on her, she found that she couldn't. Despite all that had happened, Chloe still loved Rachel, and she also knew that she was at least partially responsible for Rachel's actions.

"Why didn't you tell me the truth, Chloe?" Rachel finally asked between sobs.

"Sera asked me not to," the punk answered. "I tried to convince her otherwise, but she was adamant, and her reasoning just seemed to make sense. Even after all your dad had done to her, she didn't want you to become estranged with him. She wanted you to have at least one constant in your life. Considering the mess my own family situation was back then, agreeing to keep the truth from you felt like the right thing to do." It was Chloe's turn to look away bashfully. "I've regretted that decision ever since."

"But I had a constant in my life. It was you, you dumbass!" Rachel said in tears, pounding Chloe's chest angrily. "My family or Sera didn't matter, but you did! You mattered to me!"

"I- I'm sorry," Chloe stammered. "I should've told you about Sera. I thought I was being responsible for a change."

"Acting responsible has a tendency to backfire on you." A hint of smile grew on Rachel's face. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry too. What you did was terrible, but you didn't deserve to get cheated on over it. I was acting childish and impulsive."

"Well, you do have a tendency to act childish and impulsive when you're angry," the taller girl remarked, grinning. "When you were missing I realized I didn't want to lose you, despite what you had done."

"When I thought I was going to die I would've given anything just to see you once more." Rachel looked Chloe straight in the eyes. "I want to give us another chance, if you're still willing."

Chloe didn't say anything. Instead, she planted her lips on Rachel's and gave her a long, passionate kiss. "I love you," she said when their lips finally parted.

"I love you too."

Chloe and Rachel kept gazing into each other's eyes. The world might have been burned around them, but at least they had each other. That's all that mattered.

"Chloe! Rachel!" Victoria's distressed voice broke the tender moment. "Max went unconscious all of a sudden, and she's not waking up!"

-ooo-

She finds herself in a restroom. It takes a while for her to realize that it is the ladies' room of the Two Whales. She's lost count of how many times she's washed her hands on either one of the sinks. She can almost remember each stain and tag on the faded, dirty yellow tiles that cover the facility. She has no idea how she has ended up here. The last thing she remembers is that she was with Chloe, Rachel and Victoria on a lookout on the Hollywood Hills, witnessing the devastation that had been wrought upon Los Angeles. _What happened to me? Am I dreaming? Are the others all right?_ she asks, but the answers seem to evade her.

 _Well, staying here isn't going to solve anything,_ she thinks as she walks towards the restroom door, only to find it to be locked. There is a keypad attached to the door handle, indicating that a right combination would open the door. _Now, why would anyone put a combination lock on the_ inside _of a restroom?_ Whatever the reason, she needs to get out, so she raises her hand to the keypad. The moment her finger touches the keypad, the numbers '0311' flash into her mind. _Where did those come from?_ she wonders for a fleeting moment, before she hunches her shoulders and types in the combination. A green light on the keypad, and a click indicate that the door is no longer locked, so she turns the handle and pulls the door open.

She enters the dining space of the Two Whales. The first thing that catches her eye, is what's happening right outside the diner. Dark clouds cover the skies making it almost as dark as the night. The only sources of light are the nests of fires that illuminate the debris that is scattered all over the streets. The rain is pounding the walls of the ruined buildings, and the stormy gusts are bringing in more debris over the wrecked cars. All of that isn't nothing compared to the humongous tornado that is looming over the town, ready to engulf it.

"It's quite magnificent, isn't it. At least from a photographer's point of view," a voice that she recognizes to be her own says from the other end of the diner.

She turns to look and sees that someone is sitting at her usual booth. Despite the dim lighting and the distance, she can see that the person sitting at the booth is her, or someone that looks just like her.

"Please, come, and take a seat. I believe we have a lot to discuss," the other Max says.

She walks through the diner, making a note how it seems to be completely unaffected by the raging storm outside. Every item is where it's supposed to be, and everything is nice and clean. She makes it to the booth and sits opposite to her counterpart. The girl sitting at the other side of the table is wearing the same clothes that she was when she and Chloe found Rachel's body at the junkyard.

"Are you…?"

"…the Max whose life you're now living?" the other Max completes her question. "That's me."

"What is this place?"

"To be honest, I'm not quite sure myself. From what I've gathered, it is some kind of limbo, a moment that is detached from the normal timeline. It is stuck on a permanent loop, like an overridden security camera feed. That's why the tornado isn't going anywhere, even though it appears to be in motion."

She turns to look again at the raging vortex, and, as her counterpart said, it is indeed repeating a sequence that lasts a few seconds before starting all over. She has to admit that the sight is magnificent, in all its carnage.

"Have you been stuck here ever since I jumped back from the photo?" she asks when she turns her attention back to the girl wearing her clothes.

"I was at first, but soon I discovered that I could jump back into my own body, and observe what you were doing," the other Max explains. "It wasn't long until I realized that if I concentrated hard enough, I could have an influence on what you said or did."

"Those things I said to Victoria… That night at the hotel…" she gasps as she realizes. "You made me fall for Victoria!"

"I only gave you a few gentle pushes and nudges, so that you could see Victoria the way I see her. The decision to go all the way with her was all you; I just joined in for the ride. There was no way I was going to miss my first time with her."

She stares at her counterpart sternly. She doesn't like the idea of having been manipulated. On the other hand, she is the intruder here, and to be honest, she can't deny her own feelings for Victoria. "Why didn't you just take over altogether?" she asks.

"It wasn't that I didn't try," the other Max admits. "But just hanging on there with you, much less trying to influence you, is extremely exhausting. It feels like my whole existence is being ripped apart. I could only stay with you for so long, before having to return here to literally pull myself back together. Most of the time I've been simply 'observing' things remotely by tapping into your thoughts; how your mind processes the input from your senses. It isn't as informative as actually 'being there', but it has been enough to keep me on the map with far less effort."

She listens to her counterpart's account with conflicted thoughts. On one hand, she feels anger about her privacy having been violated, but on the other hand, she realizes that she can only blame herself for the state of things.

"Look, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't pissed about having found out that for the last months I've been living on borrowed time; about being just a placeholder for someone who is completely oblivious about the life I've been living," her counterpart says, a hint of bitterness in her voice, before she looks down and sighs. "I, and you too, have to be able put that thing aside, however, since, as you may have noticed, there are bigger things in play at the moment."

"You mean the earthquake?"

"That, and the tornado too," the other girl says. "Besides your current thoughts, I've been able to tap into your memories as well, so I know what has happened in your timeline. And, let's just say I've had a lot of time to think things over."

"So, have you come up with some theory about all this?"

"I think so. Remember how in your time Chloe talked about chaos theory? How a butterfly flapping its wings on one side of the world can cause a tornado on the other side?"

"Um, yeah?" she asks, even though she has a hunch where her counterpart is going with her question.

"I'm pretty certain that by using your rewind powers, you set in motion a similar chain of events."

"You mean that by saving Chloe and Rachel's lives I caused the freaky weather phenomena and the earthquake?"

The other Max nods.

"But the tornado never happened," she objects.

"True. You changed that by going further back and preventing Rachel's death."

"Why didn't it work on the first time, when I saved William's life? All the freaky things had still happened."

"Yes, I was wondering that too at first, but then it occurred to me. It's just not about time, it's also about space."

"What do you mean?"

"By affecting Chloe, Rachel and William's fates, you, well, we formed a special connection with them. Think about the triangle of fire, how you need the three elements, fuel, oxygen and heat, for the fire to ignite."

"Okay…"

"So let's say the altered timeline is the heat element, and the person affected by the alteration is the oxygen. With just these two together, the ignition isn't possible, but when you add the fuel element, us…"

"…the fire will ignite."

"Exactly!" the other Max says. "When you first saved Chloe's life, and then William's life, all the elements were together, and that set the chain reaction in motion. Then, when you saved Rachel's life, it caused us to stay back in Seattle, and Chloe and Rachel move to LA, effectively causing that all the elements weren't in close proximity. Everything was fine, until you returned from your photo hop and set out on your quest to find them."

"So when we found Rachel….."

"…the chain reaction started again," the other girl concludes. "I bet you've wondered why your powers haven't been working for the most of the time. It was my doing."

"You prevented me from using my powers?"

"I did. At first it was just about self-preservation. When you took over, I got your memories and became aware of your abilities. I didn't want you to do anything that might erase me from existence." Max pauses for a moment to take a look at the chaos outside, before she continues. "Later on, as my knowledge increased, it became more about not trying to disturb the timeline even more."

"But you let me save Rachel," she points out to her counterpart.

"I couldn't let her die," the other brunette says. "We're not that different, you know. Besides, as it later turned out, it wouldn't have made any difference. The damage had already been done with you and Vic arriving to LA. The triangle had been completed."

"Are you saying that the only way to prevent any catastrophes from happening would've been to avoid Chloe and Rachel for the rest of my life?"

"Probably. There's no telling if the effects in the timeline would've smoothened over time, but I wouldn't count on it."

"It's all my fault, the destruction of LA." The realization hits her hard. She's responsible of the deaths of hundreds of thousands, maybe millions of lives. She stares at her hands. "I got these powers, and all I caused was just death and destruction."

"Hey, you couldn't have known that." Her counterpart takes her hands into her own. "I'd probably done the same thing had I been in your shoes."

"But what are we going to do?" she asks the other Max frantically. "We can't just let all those people die!"

The other girl looks her straight in the eyes. "I think you already know what needs to be done, Max."

"I…" She thinks about her desperate attempt that had set this all in motion. She knows what the price of undoing it will be. A single tear runs down her cheek as she realizes there really is only one choice to be taken. "I do."

"Then you must do it," her counterpart says, smiling consensually.

"But what about you and Victoria, and Rachel and Chloe?"

"Ceasing to exist is obviously not a pleasant thought, but I don't think any of us would want to live with the lives of the people of LA on our conscience. Trust me, it's better this way."

"I'm so sorry."

"Don't be. You gave me the best months of my life. The time I got to spend with Victoria was to die for."

"I wonder if the other girls will take this as well as you do?"

"Well, you can tell them the truth, or you can just go and undo everything. The choice is yours."

 _I could simply focus on the photo while no-one is looking,_ she ponders her options. _This timeline would simply cease to exist, along with Chloe, Rachel and Victoria. They wouldn't suffer, would they?_ She entertains that option for a few seconds, before she shakes her head determinedly. "No, I have to tell them the truth! They deserve to know."

"In that case, I wish you good luck, Max."

"Thanks, I'm gonna need it."

"Would you do me a favor?"

"Anything."

"Tell Vic that I love her."

"Of course."

-ooo-

"I think she's coming to!"

"Yo, Max! Are you OK?"

"Max! What happened?"

Max opened her eyes to see three very concerned faces staring at her.

"Max, you're awake!" Chloe, Rachel and Victoria exclaimed in unison.

"How… how long was I out?" the brunette asked slowly as she rose to a half-sitting position.

"Ten minutes maybe," Victoria answered. "You passed out mid-sentence."

The hipster looked past them down into the valley. The burning ruins confirmed that all the latest events hadn't been dream. She let out a despondent sigh as she stood up and turned to face the others. "Girls, I need to tell you something…"

-ooo-

Rachel sat on a rock, her arms hugging her knees and staring into the distance. She'd just been told that for the last six months she'd been living on borrowed time, and now fate was going to claim it back. What Max had just told them about her powers and the recent events had sounded incredible to say the least. Yet, as she looked at the charred remains of Los Angeles, she couldn't really question the hipster's words.

Rachel really didn't know what to think of Max right now. Part of her held still some reservation towards the brunette, not to mention that she wasn't too happy about Max's way to set things right. For the others, things would return back to whatever way they were, but for her, it would mean the end. Max had told them that the decision should be unanimous, otherwise, she wouldn't go back. She could simply say no, and all of them would just carry on with their lives. LA would be of course out of the question, but she could rebuild her life together with Chloe somewhere else in California, or in the rest of USA.

 _Oh, who the fuck am I kidding?_ Rachel knew that neither she nor Chloe could simply just return to their normal lives with the lives of the people of Los Angeles on their conscience. It would slowly eat them from the inside.

Yes, Rachel held some reservation towards Max, but she had reasons to be grateful to the brunette too. Apparently, Max had saved her from being hit by a car. Also if it hadn't been for the hipster girl, Rachel would be just another binder in Jefferson's collection, and lying in a shallow grave at the American Rust. Now she'd gotten six more months with Chloe, and they'd made it to California. It had not been all rainbows and unicorns, but at least they'd gotten a chance to come clean with each other and reconcile. Nothing would take that away from them.

"Rachel?" Max's voice pulled the hazel-eyed girl out of her thoughts.

"Max," she acknowledged the brunette's presence.

"Listen…" the hipster began. "…I never meant to come between you and Chloe. I'm sorry if I complicated things between you two."

"You sure stirred things up down here when you arrived," Rachel said, before she smiled. "Don't worry about it, Max. Chloe and I were way past due our serious conversation. We both kept secrets from each other. Your appearance, and all that went down finally made us to have that conversation, and things are better between us."

"I understand now why Chloe thought of you as her angel," Max said.

"How did she cope with my… disappearance?"

"Not well," the hipster admitted. "She was completely lost without you." She turned to look at the desolate view down at the valley. "I'm sorry for having to ask you to throw away your chance at happiness."

"Yeah, well," Rachel sighed. "I suppose we could never be truly happy knowing the cost."

"So you're okay with me undoing everything?"

"Yeah, I guess so. I'm not too excited about the thought of dying, but it is the right thing to do."

"I wish there was another way…"

"You do what needs to be done," Rachel said, giving Max an encouraging smile.

"Shame we didn't meet under different circumstances," Max said wistfully. "Chloe, my Chloe, said that we two would've hit it off from the get go. I think she's right."

"Yeah, I think so too," the hazel-eyed girl confirmed.

"It was a pleasure knowing you, Rachel Amber." The hipster opened her arms for an embrace.

"Likewise, Max Caulfield." Rachel stepped forward and wrapped her arms around the other girl.

-ooo-

Chloe was leaning against the railing and smoking her third cigarette in a row. The nicotine helped to calm her nerves somewhat, but she was wishing that she'd had some weed on her. She took another deep drag as her brain worked overtime, trying to process what Max had told them. On any other day Chloe would've called bullshit on the hipster's story, but the devastated sight before her was more than enough to convince her otherwise.

Chloe cast a glance at Max, who was still talking to Rachel. The brunette had told them that in her own timeline, Rachel had disappeared and most probably died almost six months ago, and that had taken a huge toll on that timeline's Chloe, even more than her father's death had done. As a result, her counterpart in that time had been angry, desperate and reckless, getting herself in situations that she couldn't handle. The Chloe of that time would've died on at least three occasions, if Max had not used her powers to restore the situation. The most frightening thing, however, had been the alternate universe where Chloe had been paralyzed and was facing a slow and painful death, not to mention the horrible situation she'd put Max into, by requesting the brunette to end her life.

Chloe closed her eyes as she exhaled a trail of smoke into the air. She could easily imagine herself to be that selfish, that she'd place such a burden on her best friend's shoulders. At least her younger self would have. Before she met Rachel, Chloe had not given a fuck about other people's feelings, or how her needs might affect other people's lives. Rachel had changed all that. She was more responsible, considerate and empathetic.

And maybe because of that, the decision between their lives and the lives of the people of Los Angeles was so easy to take.

"Hey, Chloe," Max said, leaning against the railing.

"Hey, Max," the punk responded with a weary voice, out of witty remarks.

"How are you doing?"

"Okay… Well, as okay as one can expect in a situation like this. Thinking how this would look on your résumé." Okay, maybe she wasn't completely out of witty remarks.

"Max Caulfield, harbinger of death and destruction," the brunette sighed.

"Hey, you didn't ask for these powers!" Chloe grabbed Max by the shoulders. "You just did what you thought was right."

"Did I?" Max asked. "Was anything I did out of a purely selfless motive?"

"There's nothing wrong with wanting to save someone's life," the punk assured. "Have you thought that maybe you got these powers for a reason?"

"Well, if I did, I'm really having a hard time seeing it."

"Maybe you were never meant to save Rachel's life," Chloe suggested. "Maybe you were just supposed to find out what happened to her and bring her justice."

"Yeah, maybe," Max admitted. "So, I take that you're suggesting I should go back too?"

"I am," Chloe said. "I don't know how my life would've turned out, but I'm sure it's not worth this." She pointed at the devastated city.

"If I go back, there's still the tornado to deal with," Max remarked. "By this time it has already happened."

"I'm sure you'll figure out a way to save Arcadia Bay," the punk said, smiling reassuringly. "I have faith in you, Max."

"I just hate that I'll have to trade you in order to make things right again."

"Well, as they say in the Three Musketeers…" Chloe looked Max into the eyes. "One for all…"

"…and all for one," Max completed.

"C'mere!" Chloe pulled the smaller girl into a tight embrace. As she held the brunette, she couldn't help thinking how her life would have turned out, if she and Max could've stayed together. Life had torn them apart, but they had find their way back to each other. She'd been lying if she had said that the thought of being erased out of existence didn't freak her out a least bit, but on top of that, she was feeling peace and content.

"Thank you, Max," Chloe said, still holding the brunette tight. "For coming back to me."

"Anytime, Chloe."

"Now go and save the day," the punk said, letting the hipster out of her embrace, but still holding her hands. "And make those fuckers pay for what they did to Rachel."

"I will."

Chloe let go of Max's hands. A single tear ran down her cheek as she watched the brunette turn her back to her and walk away. "Max?"

"Yes, Chloe?" Max turned again to face Chloe.

"Don't forget about me."

"Never."

-ooo-

Max looked at Victoria, who was standing by herself, a little further from the others. The blonde was gazing into the distance with her arms crossed, a burning cigarette in her hand. Hesitantly, Max began to walk towards the other girl, knowing that this wouldn't be an easy conversation. Victoria had been the one of the three who had taken Max's confession the worst. Max had seen the shock on Victoria's face already when she had been telling her story, and as soon as Max had finished, the pixie-haired girl had walked furiously away.

Max couldn't really blame Victoria. Finding out that her lover wasn't who she thought she was, was hardly a pleasant surprise. Of course, Max was still Max, she just wasn't the Max that Victoria had fallen in love with. In retrospective, Max regretted that she hadn't come clean to Victoria to begin with. Without her powers, though, Max had thought it was easier to just play along for the time being. Things hadn't gotten any easier when the hipster had found that she herself was becoming emotionally invested with the blonde.

 _Well, here goes…_ Max thought as she took the final steps towards the pixie-haired girl who was still facing away from her. "Victoria?"

The taller girl didn't turn right away. Instead, she took a final drag from her cigarette before dropping it on the ground and stubbing it with her foot. After exhaling the smoke out of her lungs, she finally turned to face the brunette, a stern look on her face.

"Max," the blonde said coolly, crossing her arms.

"I'm so sorry I didn't tell you straight away that I'm not your Max," the hipster said bashfully.

"Damn right you should be!" Victoria huffed angrily. "You played with my emotions! I can't believe I even had sex with you, for Christ's sake!"

Max stood there quietly, staring at her toes, as she let the other girl vent her feelings.

"That night was supposed to be special for Max and me, and now it turns out that she wasn't even there!"

"That's where you're wrong," Max interrupted her. "Your Max was there with us. She didn't miss anything."

"She was? How?" the blonde asked bemusedly.

"Somehow, your Max has been tagging along for the most of our time together," the brunette explained. "She actually pushed me towards you."

"She did?"

"She did. Apparently she wanted it as much as you did," Max confirmed. "And, to be honest, I wanted it too." She smiled at the taller girl. "What I've told you about my feelings towards you is genuine. I- We both love you very much!"

"You do?" The anger had completely faded away from the blonde's face, and she was just staring at Max, baffled.

"Yes, you dork!" Max said, grinning, before she took the final steps that separated them and placed her lips on Victoria's. For the briefest of moments, the taller girl stood there, her eyes wide open, before she closed them and separated her lips, inviting the brunette's tongue that was already feeling its way in. Victoria wrapped her arms around the smaller girl, and Max followed suit. Max didn't know how long they stood there, their tongues twirling around each other. When Max had set out on this journey, the last thing she'd imagined might happen, was to fall in love with her toughest rival. Yet, here she was in Victoria's embrace, and she couldn't think of any place where she'd rather be at this moment. Maybe because of that, tears welled up in her eyes, as she knew that this wasn't meant to last.

"So, there's no other way to fix this?" Victoria asked, as she let go of the smaller girl. It was as if she knew what Max was thinking.

"I don't think so," the hipster answered dejectedly.

"Do you know what will happen to this timeline, when you go back?"

"I honestly don't know."

"I'm scared, Max," the taller girl confessed. "I don't want to die."

"I don't want any of you to die either," Max said sympathetically. "That's why I want this decision to be unanimous."

"What did Chloe and Rachel say?"

"They think I should go back."

Victoria looked away momentarily. Max could see that she was straining to maintain a stoic expression. "I… I think you should go back too," the blonde finally said, still not facing the brunette.

"You sure?"

"No, but it's the right thing to do," Victoria said, as she turned to face Max again.

"Very well, then," Max concluded. "I'll go back and undo what I did to save Rachel's life. Hopefully, that'll prevent the earthquake from happening. I wish there was another way."

"Life is full of disappointments," Victoria said nonchalantly. "Trust me, I know."

"I'm glad I got to know you, though." The hipster took the other girl's hands into hers.

"How was I towards you in your own timeline?" the blonde asked.

"Well, you know…"

"A total bitch, right?"

"Yeah."

"I'm not surprised," Victoria said, sighing. "The atmosphere at Blackwell Academy always brought out the worst in me. Going back to Seattle was the best thing that could've happened to me, in more ways than one." She accompanied her words with a smile.

"Likewise," the brunette concurred.

"I love you, Max Caulfield. Both of you."

"We love you too, Victoria Chase." Max closed in for another kiss.

"Now, go and save the day!"

"I will." Max let go of Victoria's hand and began walking away from her.

"Max?" she heard Victoria calling her.

"Yes, Victoria?" Max turned to look at the blonde.

"Don't give up on me."

"I won't." Having said that, Max walked away from the three girls.

Max found a sheltered spot, and dug out the picture taken of her in the hockey game. She cast a final, wistful glance at Chloe, Rachel and Victoria, before focusing on the image. This reality had been perfect in many ways, but the price of it had just been too big. With that, she turned her attention on the picture, and a few moments later, everything around her disappeared into brightness.

-ooo-

"There!" Ryan Caulfield said as he lowered his pocket-sized digital camera. "You wanna take a look, Max?"

"What? No," the brunette answered bluntly. "I need to go to the restroom."

"Now? But the game's about to start," Ryan said, bemused at his daughter's reaction.

"Yes, now!" Max said impatiently. "PMS."

"Uh, okay, kiddo," Ryan said, blushing. "You'll know where to find me."

"Sure, dad," Max said, and walked swiftly down to the platform leading out from the stand.

As soon as she was out of sight, she dug out her phone. _OK, maybe I won't be able to save Rachel, but I'll be damned if I'm going to let us walk straight into Jefferson's hands._ She stared at the phone screen, considering her options. Messaging Chloe was out of the question, and Max couldn't leave a note to herself either, as she might find it too early. _How could I warn myself at the right moment…?_ She frantically scrolled the apps on the phone, until one app suddenly caught her attention. _Of course!_ Max opened the calendar app. She'd send herself a reminder, right after the moment she and Chloe would have found Rachel's body. By then, she would know what the message means, and the risk that she found the reminder before that would be relatively small.

Max created a new reminder, set to alert on the afternoon of October 10th. On the reminder notes she wrote: _'The dark room is Jefferson's! He's using Nathan. Jefferson knows you've been into the dark room, so stay clear of him at all cost! Take your evidence to David instead. Don't try to save Rachel! The side effects of that are horrifying. Also, the tornado will happen! Do what you can to save the people of Arcadia Bay. -Max'_.

Satisfied with the contents, Max saved the reminder and put her phone away. _Now, it's up to other me and Chloe…_ the brunette thought, as everything began to disappear into the haze.

-ooo-

The first thing Max registered was the light whiff of an autumn wind on her skin. Her brain registered trees swaying in the wind against the sky. She looked down and found herself standing on a path going between lines of gravestones. She was standing in a graveyard.

Max turned around and recognized the iron gate of Arcadia Bay's cemetery. _This is the cemetery!_ She cast a glance at the seaside, and was relieved to see the lighthouse standing steadfastly at the edge of the cliff, casting a beam of light into the slowly dawning sky. _The lighthouse is intact! The tornado never came!_

 _Why am I here, and where is Chloe?_ Max asked herself. She turned around, and realized that she was standing next to a pair of recently filled graves. The gravestones that adorned the fresh graves were shining brand-new. _Oh my god!_ Max's knees went weak as she read the names carved on the stones.

RACHEL DAWN AMBER

July 22, 1994 – April 22, 2013

CHLOE ELIZABETH PRICE

March 11, 1994 – October 7, 2013

 _They are both dead!_ Max thought as she read the two names over and over again incredulously. She looked at Chloe's date of death and realized that the punk had already died on the first day of their reunion. _But that can't be! Chloe was still with me on Thursday!_ she thought frantically. _What day is it?_ Max dug out her phone and saw it was the early morning of the fifteenth.

 _No! There must be another way! I have to fix this!_ Max thought as she began rummaging through her satchel. _Where's that photo of the morpho?_ She found her diary, and pulled that out. She was about to open it to search for the photo, when she saw a post-it note attached on the cover. The note said: 'READ ME!' Max opened the diary from the page that had been bookmarked with another post-it note. There was a long entry in her own handwriting, addressed to herself.

 _Dear Max,_

 _If you are reading these words, you must've learned that Chloe is dead. You are probably anxious to use the photo you took of the morpho, and save her, but don't bother. I've burned the photo as a pre-caution, although I doubt your powers would work anyway, now that everything has been restored. In case you're wondering why I was willing to sacrifice Chloe, it really was the only way to save all the people. I'll come to the details later, but I want you to know it was Chloe's choice and suggestion. I wouldn't have wanted to go through with it, but you know how persuasive she can be._

 _By now, you must be wondering what has happened during your absence. I have to admit that even after what I had already experienced, I was surprised to find your calendar entry in my phone. I was, however, able to deduct that you had already given a shot at trying to save Rachel, and while I didn't know how horrible the outcome of that would've been, we gave up on that idea._

 _I don't know how you figured out that Jefferson was the real culprit, but that turned out to be crucial for Nathan's well-being. We went to David with our findings, as you suggested, and while he initially was suspicious of us, the evidence we presented was enough to convince him. David contacted Officer Berry, who was quick enough to obtain a warrant to search the barn. The police raided the dark room with assistance from David. They did so at the eleventh hour, as Jefferson had Nathan captive there, and he was just about to kill him. According to David, a firefight had ensued, with Jefferson ending up _dead, and Nathan_ mildly wounded. _

_With that out of the way, Chloe and I could focus on the tornado. The thing was, that there was little we could do about it. The forecast was fair weather for Friday, so we had zilch to back up our cause. Warren and Kate were pretty much the only ones that believed us, and we were running out of time. We tried to devise a plan to get at least some of the people to safety when the storm would start, but we would soon find out that our preparations were totally inadequate for what was about to come._

 _Even if we knew that the storm was coming, it managed to take us by surprise. It came upon us so quickly that it was almost unimaginable. Like at one moment everything was fine, and the next the storm was all over us at full force. The whole town just went into panic and chaos, and with that, everything we had planned just went down the drain._

 _As we watched the storm devour Arcadia Bay, we considered our options, and finally it was Chloe who suggested that I go back to the moment when Nathan shot her, and let her die. I refused at first, saying that I wasn't ready to trade her for the town. Not after all we've been through. Chloe then said that our reunion was the best thing that had happened to her since the day she met Rachel. She said that she has laughed and smiled during these last few days like she hasn't in years. The time we'd spent together had been the happiest of her life, and no matter what would happen to us, we'd always have those moments._

 _As I said, Chloe can be persuasive, so I finally gave in and agreed to go back and undo everything. We said our goodbyes, and I jumped back. My heart crushing, I watched how Chloe again ended up in a quarrel with Nathan, and finally getting shot by him. I couldn't bear the thought of her dying alone, so, disregarding my own safety, I ran to her and took her onto my lap. Luckily, Nathan was in some kind of shock, so he didn't seem to notice my presence._

 _As I held Chloe on my lap and watched her slowly wither away, she smiled at me. She was too weak to say anything, but she smiled at me in contentment. It might have just been that she was glad to see me, and not having to die alone, but I'd like to think that at least on some level she knew. After she took her last breath, I kissed her goodbye, and then I just wept, holding her in my embrace for I don't know how long. I can't remember David coming in and apprehending Nathan, or the paramedics arriving at the scene, and taking Chloe away. The next thing I remember is that I woke up in the hospital, with Joyce and Kate next to my bed._

 _I was released from the hospital the next day. The doctor said I was suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and he prescribed me some pills to help me sleep. I honestly don't know how I was able to function in the following days, but somehow, I found it in me to be able to be there for Joyce and David, and help them with the funeral arrangements._

 _After Nathan was arrested, it didn't take him too long to spill the beans about the dark room, Rachel and Jefferson. From what I heard, Jefferson was arrested on the same afternoon, and Rachel's body was found on the next day. Jefferson's case will go to court next week. It well be handled as a federal case, and looks like that Jefferson will most probably be facing 25 to life in prison. Nathan, on the other hand, was already committed into a mental institute for an undetermined amount of time. Sean Prescott was able to use his influence, even though Rachel's father would've wanted him to face justice too. I'm not sure how I personally feel about it. In many ways, Nathan is one of Jefferson's victims like the others, but on the other hand, he is responsible for both Chloe and Rachel's deaths._

 _Rachel's father, being the DA, was able to expedite Rachel's autopsy, so that her funeral could be held on the same day as Chloe's. A joint service was held for them on Friday, and they were buried in adjacent graves. It was a beautiful service, and the weather was just perfect on that day. I've been spending most of my time here since the funeral, so that you'd know what has happened._

 _I don't know how much time I have left before you come and take over. I figured it was bound to happen sooner or later. I am scared, but at the same time I feel serenity. We found out what happened to Rachel, and we saved Arcadia Bay. I am grief-stricken about the loss of Chloe, but the few days I got to spend with her do offer some consolation. I think I was falling in love with her, but I guess you already knew that. I suppose we'll never find out whether we would've ended up being together with Chloe, will we? Anyway, we got to share those moments with her, and now I'll be passing on the burden of grief to you._

 _I hope you'll cherish the memory of our lost friend, but I also hope you'll carry on with your life and will not linger in sadness for very long. I know Chloe would've wanted it that way._

 _This is what I have to say. I hope my words helped you to get up to speed. You have probably a gazillion questions, but I am sure you'll figure things out. Maybe we'll get to meet someday, but until then, I wish you all the best!_

 _Your counterpart in time,_

 _Max_

The brunette closed the diary, and dried her teary cheeks. She had been aware that things might come to this, but still, she'd never given up hope on a chance that the other Max and Chloe would come up with a solution that would save everyone. Apparently, that wasn't meant to be, and she was left to grief over the loss of her best friend.

Max felt really lethargic all of a sudden. Realizing how big a toll, both emotionally and physically, the last week had taken on her, she slumped down on the ground. She just sat there quietly, staring at the two graves, as the first rays of the morning sun reflected upon the onyx stones.

"Thought I might find you here, Caulfield," Max heard an all too familiar voice saying behind her back.

"What do you want, Victoria?" Max asked nonchalantly, not bothering to turn her head.

"Oh, for goodness' sake! Would you at least give me the courtesy of looking at me when I'm trying to apologize you?" the blonde huffed.

"Wait, what?" the hipster blurted. She stood up and turned to look at the taller girl who was standing a few steps away from her. The indignation on the blonde's face received a touch of humbleness, as Max made eye contact with her.

"Look, Max," Victoria began. "Since the shooting, I've been doing a lot of thinking, and I've come to realize what kind of bitch I have been towards you and Kate and everyone else."

"You don't say?" the brunette remarked sardonically.

"Well, yes," the blonde stammered bashfully. "I've been doing a lot of apologizing in the past few days. I realize I need to do more than that to redeem myself, but I have to start from somewhere."

"Yeah, that's always a good way to start," Max admitted.

"Anyhow, you're the last one on my list," Victoria concluded. "I'm sorry for taking my own insecurities out on you. You have a great talent, and you deserve better." She offered her hand.

Max looked at the taller girl contemplatively. Victoria's apology seemed sincere. Remembering her promise to the other Victoria, Max smiled and took the offered hand. "I accept your apology."

"Excellent!" the blonde said, smiling. "As a token of goodwill, I'd like to invite you over for breakfast at the Hip Bean, and discuss photography with you."

"I'd love that, Vic."

"Only my friends get to call me Vic," the pixie-haired girl said coolly, before softening her expression to a smile. "But I just might be willing to make an exception with you, Maxine."

"Max, never Maxine, I make no exceptions," the brunette said, as they began walking towards the gate.

"I know."

 **The End**

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Well, that was it. I hope you enjoyed the ride. Can't believe it's been over one and a half years since I typed the first words of this story. I certainly was a lot more optimistic about the schedule than it turned out to be. With my initial pace I figured I'd be done with it within six months. After releasing chapter 7, I hit the writer's block, and the next few chapters turned out to be an intensely tough process. Nevertheless, I managed to overcome that, and now I'm writing the notes for the final chapter.**

 **I realize that the ending I chose probably doesn't please the wast majority of the readers. It essentially is a variation of the bay ending. There is one significant difference, though. In the end, Max says her goodbyes to Chloe, and the dying Chloe acknowledges Max's presence. I guess what I tried to say with my ending, is that whatever we do, the future isn't always in our hands.**

 **I have to admit that this story has changed tremendously during the writing process. Initially, I had only the premise, and a few key scenes in mind. Pretty much the only thing that was clear from the get go, was that Max wasn't meant to save Rachel's life. The story initially started as an eventual Pricefield, but as it progressed, and Victoria's role grew more significant, I began to incline towards Chasefield. That in mind, the ending I eventually chose, began to make more and more sense. Other things changed too. I initially planned the relationship part to be more complex, with also Rachel becoming romantically interested in Max, and Max trying to balance between all three girls, with catastrophic results. Anyhow, as I wrote, I realized I wanted to emphasize Vicky's role more and it to be more invested. As a result, I ended up antagonizing Rachel more than I intended. I just hope the last chapter explained her motives a bit. I also planned a sacrifice Max ending, with the intention to integrate it to the ending of my other story, Ships in the Night. That would've probably been too outlandish, though.**

 **As always, some acknowledgements are in order. Firstly, I'd like to thank my beta reader, Crowthorne, who did a great job ironing out the grammatical and idiomatic quirks that my brain farted out. Your effort really made a big difference! Thank you! Secondly, I'd like to thank the great Lyta Halifax for her insightful feedback, and for her time to bounce some ideas around. You are and always will be a great inspiration to me. Thank you! Last but not least, I'd like to thank every one of you who read and reviewed/commented. Your feedback was the best creative fuel I could ask for. Thank you!**

 **This story will, for the time being, be my last LiS fanfic. I will still be writing and updating my other ongoing story, Bound by Trust irregularly, but it will definitely be a backburner. LiS 2 is roughly a month away, and that might inspire new stories, but you never know. I take this moment to thank all of you who have read my stories during these years. For me, it has been a period of growth as writer, and a lot of fun too. I hope you've enjoyed as well. I'd also like to thank Dontnod, Deck Nine and Square Enix for bringing us the LiS universe with its wonderful characters! Max, Chloe and the others have been a great source of inspiration. Thank you so much!**

 **Be excellent to each other!**


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